Newborn found dead inside Madhya Pradesh hospital. Then, doctors noticed marks around her neck

The baby, born to a couple from the Chanderi area, was admitted to the hospital shortly after birth and was being kept under medical observation. By Saturday afternoon, she was dead. (Representational image/File Photo)

Madhya Pradesh-hospital-newborn-death-case

A newborn girl was allegedly strangled to death, within 16 hours of her birth, at a hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Ashoknagar district, with police now probing the family members.

The baby, born to a couple from the Chanderi area, was admitted to the hospital shortly after birth and was being kept under medical observation. By Saturday afternoon, she was dead.

What initially appeared to be a sudden deterioration in the newborn’s condition became a suspected murder after doctors noticed marks around her neck and blood coming from her mouth.

“An initial medical investigation showed that there were some marks on the infant’s neck. Furthermore, blood was also spotted on her face. We are questioning the infant’s family members,” said a police officer.

Police said the examination subsequently found “ligature or compression marks around the baby’s neck, indicating that she could have been strangled,” the officer said.

The finding prompted investigators to reconstruct the few hours between her admission and her death, including who had handled the baby, who had entered the ward and when she was last seen alive.

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The baby was born late on Friday night, around 11.50 pm, and was admitted to the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) soon after.

She was found dead between about 3 pm and 4 pm on Saturday, less than 16 hours after her birth.

A health official from the district said hospital staff immediately took the newborn to the SNCU after she was found unresponsive.

“Doctors examined the child and found that she had already died. The baby had blood coming from her mouth and marks resembling pressure around her neck. Given these circumstances, the hospital treated the death as suspicious and informed the police, following which the body was sent for post-mortem examination,” the official said.

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The newborn was the second daughter of her parents. Investigators are, therefore, examining whether the baby’s gender and the family’s circumstances could have played a role in her killing.

The possibility of a family member being responsible for the death has emerged also because access to the child was restricted. Besides, the absence of CCTV cameras inside the SNCU has also made it difficult to immediately ascertain how she was killed.

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Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More