4 month old foetus recovered from box in Kerala apartment fridge, couple claims miscarriage

THRISSUR: Police on Monday recovered a foetus preserved in a refrigerator at an apartment in Kodungallur and questioned a couple in connection with the incident.

Acting on a tip-off, officers conducted a search at a flat in Chathedathuparambu near Kodungallur on Monday evening. According to the FIR, a 23-year-old man from Anappuzha in Thrissur district and a 28-year-old woman from Kottuvally in Ernakulam district were living together in a flat at Rose Villa.

During the search, police found a foetus, estimated to be around three to four months old, kept inside a green box labelled “AMY” in the refrigerator.

On questioning, the couple told police they had been married for about a year and were employed with an event management firm. The woman claimed that on March 20, around 11 pm, she experienced severe abdominal pain and expelled the foetus in the bathroom.

Having studied nursing, she allegedly cut the umbilical cord herself after her husband brought a pair of scissors from a neighbouring apartment, officials said. Unable to dispose of the foetus, the couple kept it in the refrigerator.

Police have registered a case of unnatural death. Officials said the foetus will undergo a forensic examination before last rites are conducted. A detailed probe is underway to verify the couple’s statements.
(With PTI inputs)