Hyderabad: Mothers abandoned or killed 18 babies in last 3 months

Hyderabad: Eighteen infants have been killed or left to die near bus stops or trash cans in and around Greater Hyderabad in the last three months creating an alarming situation. The maximum cases have been reported from Haythnagar, L B Nagar, Santosh Nagar, Jawahar Nagar, Jeedimetla, Medchal, Ashok Nagar, Old Bowenpally and Gandhi Hospital. In the case at LB Nagar, the mother Shravanthi tried to commit suicide and was arrested by the police. During investigations it was found that due to issues with her husband and mother-in-law she had taken this extreme step.

In Ashoknagar, on January 17, the baby was thrown out of the house on the shed and neighbours rushed the child to Niloufer Hospital but was declared brought dead. According to the police, they can book cases under section 174 but there is no one to pursue the case. Mr Achyut Rao of Bala Hakula Sangam who has been recording these cases in and around the city says, “This barbaric act must stop. Mothers killing innocent children can’t be tolerated and it has to be brought to a stop.”

The child welfare department earlier had a concept called Ooyala which meant that there would be an empty cradle available outside government Anganwadis Shishugruha and Shishuvihar where single mothers or those who are troubled by family issues can leave their children. This has been discontinued and whenever there is a case of dead infant the activists are demanding that government must take up these measures again.