A 19-year-old woman gave birth on board a moving sleeper bus and, along with a man claiming to be her husband, allegedly threw the newborn out of the vehicle, resulting in the child’s death in Maharashtra.
The tragedy unfolded around 6:30 am on Tuesday along the Pathri-Selu Road in Parbhani district. The matter came to light when a passerby saw a bundle being thrown from a bus window. On inspection, the bundle was found to contain a newborn baby boy. The citizen immediately alerted the police via the 112 emergency helpline.
Couple Wrapped The Baby
According to officials, the woman, Ritika Dhere, was travelling from Pune to Parbhani in a sleeper coach operated by Sant Prayag Travels. She was accompanied by Altaf Shaikh, who claimed to be her husband. During the journey, Dhere went into labour and delivered a baby inside the bus. The couple allegedly wrapped the infant in a cloth and discarded him from the window.
When the bus driver noticed something being thrown out, Shaikh reportedly told him that Dhere had vomited. However, the police soon intercepted the bus after being informed by the concerned citizen. Upon investigation, the couple confessed to discarding the newborn, citing financial and personal difficulties.
Police have registered a case under Section 94(3), (5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for concealment of birth and secret disposal of a body. The woman has been hospitalised for medical attention, and further investigation is underway. While the pair claimed to be married, they failed to provide any legal proof of the union.