- The newborn's body was found in a plastic bag in West Patel Nagar's parking area on July 28
- Roshni concealed her pregnancy by citing a medical condition causing abdominal swelling
- Post-mortem confirmed the newborn died of strangulation; police registered a murder case
A 26-year-old domestic worker was arrested for allegedly strangling her newborn to death after giving birth in her employer's bathroom in Patel Nagar, an official said on Thursday.
According to a senior officer, the accused, identified as Roshni, who was working as a domestic helper since 2023, disposed of the body in a trash bag.
The woman conceived the child after she visited her village in November 2024 to attend a wedding, where she entered into a physical relationship with her boyfriend. When she came to know about the pregnancy after coming to Delhi, she informed her boyfriend, who refused to support her, a senior police officer said, adding that she had been married once in 2019 and got divorced in 2021.
"The case came to light on July 28 when a PCR call was received at the Patel Nagar Police Station reporting the discovery of a dead newborn in a white plastic bag in the parking area of a flat in West Patel Nagar," the officer said.
Upon reaching the spot, the police team found the body of a male newborn stuffed inside the bag, following which the crime team was called to the scene. Subsequently, the body was taken to the mortuary for autopsy.
During the preliminary inquiry, it was revealed that the domestic help working, a native of Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, had recently given birth, the officer said.
To conceal her pregnancy from her employers, the woman claimed she was experiencing a medical condition that caused abdominal swelling when they suggested she see a doctor.
"On July 26, while the house owners were out at a party, Roshni delivered the baby alone in the bathroom. She confessed to strangling the infant with a piece of cloth due to fear of social stigma, and then placed the body in a plastic bag, which she discarded in the trash area of the building," the officer added.
Two days later, a sanitation worker discovered the body while collecting garbage. Roshni, who left the house earlier, was summoned, and the owner was informed, who then contacted the police.
Following the recovery of the body, Roshni was sent for medical examination, and inquest proceedings under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were initiated.
The post-mortem was conducted on July 29 at the RML Hospital, which confirmed the death of the newborn by strangulation, officials said.
On Thursday, a case was registered at the Patel Nagar Police Station under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 238(a) (offence of causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information to screen an offender) of the BNS, and further investigation was taken up.
Before her arrest, she was held at the Sakhi One Stop Centre within the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital. Her statement will be recorded before a magistrate after obtaining legal counsel.
The police also mentioned that her boyfriend, a resident of the same village in Raebareli, will be summoned for questioning and may be arrested, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
