Madhya Pradesh Horror: Newborn Dies After Mother Chops Off Extra Fingers, Toes; Covers Injuries With Cowdung
Mather of a newborn in Khandwa chopped off extra fingers and toes fearing the oddity would hamper the infant’s chances of getting married.
Bhopal, December 29: In a shocking incident, a newborn child succumbed to injuries in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, after the mother allegedly chopped off her extra fingers and toes fearing the oddity would hamper the infant’s chances of getting married, police said on Saturday. Later she covered the injury with cow dung.
Briefing more about the incident – took place on December 22 – police said that the infant girl child took birth with six fingers each on both hands and six toes each on both feet in Khandwa. The mother became terrified with the thought that he daughter might not married with the ‘fault’ and allegedly chopped off the extra fingers, added the police. TMC Purifies Cooch Behar With Cow Dung and Gangajal After BJP’s Protest Rally; Watch Video.
The report came to limelight after the media circulated the news and police took the cognisance of it. Police exhumed the body of the child for further probe, said an official.
Stating more, an official said, as reported by PTI, “The child was born on December 22 to a woman identified as Tarabai in Sundardev village. The woman used a sickle to chop off the infant’s extra fingers and toes. She later coated the injuries with cow dung. Within hours, the infant died and was buried in the village. She feared that the child would not be able to get married in future because of these extra fingers and toes.”
Suspecting an angle of superstition, police are have sent the body for post-mortem and waiting for the medical report, based on which further action would be taken. Also, action has been initiated against local medical staff overseeing formalities related to childbirth in the village, though the woman had not been arrested as of yet.
The condition where a child is born with extra fingers and toes is known as polydactyly or polydactylism or hyperdactyly and is a congenital physical anomaly in humans and animals.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 29, 2018 10:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).