Mother who flung baby to death is charged with murder

According to police, 26-year-old Deepika Parmar, had given birth to twins--a boy and a girl-- at a private hospital a month-and-a-half ago and was at the KEM hospital with her tailor husband Manish since October 20 for treatment of the infants.

She was caught on CCTV camera leaving the hospital ward with the baby girl and later returning without the infant whom she allegedly flung out of the window of the bathroom on the ground floor yesterday.

"She has been charged under IPC section 302 (murder). However, we have not arrested her on humanitarian grounds because her son is in the ICU and her presence is needed there," S Baviskar, Deputy Police Commissioner told PTI.

The accused was charged with section 317 (Exposure and abandonment of child under 12 years, by parent or person having care of it). At 5 am yesterday, Deepika had created a furore at the hospital claiming her baby had gone missing after which the authorities launched a frantic search, police said.

The softly whimpering and injured baby was found lying in a gutter outside the toilet. All efforts to save the baby, who had suffered head injuries during the fall, failed and she died hours later.

According to police, the Dahisar resident, had prematurely delivered the twins at a private hospital last month. The underweight infants needed to be kept in an incubator. DCP Bhaviskar said the postmortem report has suggested histopathological tests for ascertaining the exact cause of death.

Vikram Patil, senior Inspector at Bhoiwada Police Station said the two babies also had breathing problems. "Deepika says she could not bear to see the suffering her children. Hence, she picked up the baby girl and threw her out of the window," Patil said, adding further investigation is on.