Nashik: The Malegaon Camp police have registered a case against 11 individuals, including a senior doctor, following allegations that a private hospital conducted the delivery of a 16-year-old girl without notifying authorities, in violation of legal provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.
Arrests Made in Connection with Concealment of Case
Nine of the accused, comprising medical staff at the hospital, the man allegedly responsible for impregnating the minor, and her relatives, have been arrested on charges of concealing the case from the police and relevant government authorities. Among those detained is a former superintendent of Malegaon General Hospital who had entered private practice after retirement.
Details of the Incident
According to police reports, the minor gave birth to a baby girl on June 3 at the private hospital. Despite the case involving a minor, the hospital allegedly failed to report the pregnancy or delivery as mandated by law. Assistant Inspector Pankaj Nikam of the Malegaon Camp police station stated, "A 16-year-old pregnant girl was admitted to a private hospital in Malegaon. It was the duty of the doctors of the hospital to inform the government authorities about the pregnancy of a minor girl, but they failed to do so. She delivered a baby girl on June 3. The newborn was critical and hence was referred to another private hospital, while the mother was discharged and sent home. Meanwhile, no one went to see the newborn where she was admitted. The information reached officials of the Malegaon Civil Hospital."
Discovery of the Unattended Newborn
The incident came to light after officials from the Civil Hospital were alerted about the unattended newborn. A senior doctor then traced the case back to the original private hospital where the delivery took place.
Legal Action and Investigation
Following a complaint filed by the superintendent of Malegaon General Hospital, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered in the early hours of Sunday. The police subsequently launched a crackdown, leading to the arrests. The accused were produced before a court, which remanded them in custody until June 12 as the investigation continues.
