Women docs held for forcibly delivering baby of rape victim

I S Patil, the investigating officer, said the incident occurred on November 29 after the 15-year-old rape victim — more than seven months pregnant — was admitted to the Sitamai Hospital at Pen in Raigad district, around 100 km south of here.

The Sitamai Hospital is run by Pramodini Paranjpe, a gynaecologist. “With the help of another MD gynaecologist, Dr Usha Barbhavkar, who also practises in a government hospital, Paranjpe made the girl forcibly deliver the child,” said Patil here Friday.

Born alive, the infant was kept in a pan, unwashed and unfed for three days till it died. It was not even shown to the young mother who was in the nursing home at the time, Patil said.

Then Paranjpe ordered her driver — whose identity has not been confirmed — to go and dump the dead infant in the septic of tank of another clinic, Paranjpe Nursing Home, in the hill station of Khopoli, around 40 km from Pen, Patil said.

The matter came to light when an alert citizen noticed the driver dumping the infant in the septic tank last Wednesday evening, Patil said. He alerted police who moved swiftly and after initial investigations, nabbed the two doctors later that night.

Police custody

On Wednesday, the doctors were produced before a magistrate in Panvel and remanded in police custody till Dec 7. They have been charged under sections dealing with murder, kidnapping and forcible delivery of a child with intent to kill, according to Patil.

Late on Thursday night, the police also managed to arrest a youth, identified as Raju, for allegedly raping the minor girl. The police are also investigating whether the girl’s family members had any hand in the two doctors killing the infant.

A manhunt has been launched by Raigad Police to nab the absconding driver, Patil said.