22-day-old baby found dead in Bageshwar, mom booked

Bageshwar: A case has been registered against a woman in connection with the death of her 22-day-old daughter following allegations levelled against her by family members and findings of a postmortem report, police said on Tuesday.On Feb 9, the newborn was found unconscious at her house in Jaisar village under Baijnath police station in Bageshwar district, said police. The infant's grandfather, Keshar Singh Koranga, lodged a complaint against her mother, Deepa Koranga, 25, stating that only she was with the baby at the time of the incident while other family members had gone to attend a wedding.Family members said that when they returned around 6.30pm, the baby was found lying unresponsive and was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead.Suspecting foul play after noticing marks on the child's neck, the family demanded a postmortem. Police said the report cited the cause of death as traumatic asphyxia — suffocation due to pressure on the neck. Doctors described the injuries as ante-mortem in nature, indicating they were inflicted before death. The report also noted an abrasion near the right side of the chin and an injury below the neck.Based on the complaint and medical findings, a case was registered against the mother under section 103(1) of BNS and initiated a detailed investigation on Tuesday.Keshar Singh alleged that the family had been grappling with domestic disputes for a while. He said a complaint had been lodged earlier and police counselling was ongoing and that a session also took place on the day of the incident.Bageshwar circle officer Ajay Lal Shah said the case is being investigated. "We are relying on forensic evidence and the postmortem report. All aspects are being examined carefully," he said, adding legal action will be taken based on the findings.