Jun 25, 2012: District to challenge verdict against dad accused of killing girl

TNN | Jun 25, 2012, 03.14AM IST

Jaisalmer: The district administration will challenge the session's court decision to acquit the father who has been accused of murdering his newborn girl in Devda village in Jaisalmer district in March 2011.

The court had acquitted Bane Singh on Wednesday. He was arrested in January after the forensics report of the viscera stated that the girl had died to poisoning.

Disappointed with the verdict, collector Shuchi Tyagi on Sunday said the district will now challenge the verdict at the high court.

Amid reports of government witnesses changing their statements in the court, the collector said action will be taken against them. SP Mamta Vishnoi too said she would again study and check all points to present a strong case at the high court.

According to forensics report, the newborn had died due to poisoning. Singh was arrested under Sections 201 and 302 of the IPC and produced before the court in March.

Singh's counsel argued that the parents were not present when the body of the newborn was dug out and the DNA test too was not conducted. Therefore, it could not be verified that the girl belonged to the couple. After hearing the arguments, the court acquitted him.

Collector Tyagi, however, said the recent verdict is not going to affect the campaign againstfemale feticide in the district.

In this regard, a show-cause notice too has been issued to an ANM ( auxiliary nurse and midwife) at Delasar village for not informing the district administration and the health department of the suspicious death of a newborn baby girl last month.

Five newborn baby girls have reported died in the district over the past one month.

Deputy chief medical and health officer Dr VP Singh said the ANM did not report the death despite guidelines issued by CMHO and the health department. Durga Kanwar, wife of one Mahendra Singh, had given birth to a baby girl in Delasar village in the last month of May. The baby died under 'mysterious' circumstances.

Dr Singh said in the same village in April month, Dhapu Kanwar wife of Prem Singh through normal delivery gave birth to a baby girl (within 7months) and the baby girl died within some time. The ANM did not inform about this. The health department taking serious note of this, as issued show cause notice under 17cc to the ANM.
Link: District to challenge verdict against dad accused of killing girl