Dharmasala/Chandikhole: Police Tuesday arrested the father of the newborn girl who was rescued from a compost pit at Shyamsundarpur village under Dharmasala block in Jajpur district Saturday.
He was identified as Ramesh Basantia. The newborn’s mother was identified as Mamata Basantia, said superintendent of police (SP), Anup Kumar Sahoo while talking to mediapersons at his Panikoili office Tuesday.
The accused will be produced in Chandikhole court Wednesday after completion of necessary formalities, Jenapur IIC Jyoti Prakash Panda said.
Jenapur police picked up Ramesh from his home and brought him to the police station on the basis of inputs given by the local ASHA and Anganwadi workers Monday night.
His wife Mamata was also brought over to the police station Tuesday where the couple admitted that they are the parents of the newborn.
Later, police arrested Ramesh and brought him to the SP’s office at Panikoili.
According to the Ramesh, Mamata gave birth to the newborn following a normal delivery in the wee hours of Saturday.
He was already under severe strain for having four children including two daughters. Ramesh was not happy after he came to know about his wife’s fifth pregnancy and tried to abort the pregnancy, but in vain.
He lost his mental balance after his wife gave birth to a girl Saturday. Ramesh immediately took the newborn and buried it alive in the compost pit in the village and hurried back home.
The local Anganwadi supervisor Brajeshwari Nayak claimed that Mamata never informed her about the pregnancy nor did she accept the nutritious food for pregnant women provided by the state government.
Meanwhile, officials of the district child protection committee claimed that the condition of the newborn girl undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital is stable and improving.
The district administration has adopted the girl and named her ‘Dharitri’. PNN
