No one to celebrate her birth

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 17

Contrasting scenes were witnessed at the neonatal ward of the GMCH, Sector 32, this morning when all other parents, joyous at the birth of their respective bundle of joy, were seen anxiously catching a glimpse their newborn child.

However, there was nobody to celebrate the birth of one newborn. There were no anxious visitors to catch her glimpse, as she lay tucked in a corner at the neonatal ward.

The rape victim's parents refused to see the child and neither did they sign the register on which the identity of the child is revealed after birth. Finally, a woman employee of the child welfare committee came forward and took the custody of the child.

Unike other children, there will be no mother to take her in her lap and console her whenever she will cry. She will be at the mercy of nurses in the hospital.

Woman offers to feed baby

Humanity came to the rescue of the newborn girl child when the mother of a newly born child offered to feed her.

Prof Dasari Harish, HoD, Forensic Medicine, who is heading the 10-member committee formed for the delivery of the 10-year-old, said, "We have a milk bank in the hospital and the child was fed through that."

Harjinder Kaur, chairperson of the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR), said, "The newborn belongs to the state. However, it is sad that the newborn will be deprived of mother's feed. We are also worried about the physical and psychological development of the newborn child," said Harjinder Kaur.

She said the infant would be kept in the hospital until doctors found her healthy enough to be discharged.

Later, the child would be kept at Aashiana, the state adoption agency, for two months after which the state would start the process of adoption.

The family would be given an option to review their decision.

Victim to be counselled

A child psychologist and an adult psychologist will counsel the rape victim. The need for psychological treatment was felt as the family believes that after the delivery, the mother goes through a lot of physiological changes.

"We currently do not know what the child is going through. We have decided that till the time the girl is in the hospital, she will be provided psychological care," said Dr Ravi Gupta, MS, GMCH.

Committee of doctors

The 10-member team that supervised the operation comprised Prof Dasari Harish, HoD, Forensic Medicine; Prof Vishal Guglani, HoD, Paediatrics; Prof Poonam Goel, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics; Prof Preeti Arun, Department of Psychiatry; Dr Bharti Goel, Associate Professor, Gynaecology and Obstetrics; Dr Rekha Gupta, Assistant Professor, Radiodiagnosis; Prof Lakesh, Anaesthesia; Dr Pankaj, Paediatrics; Dr Shivangi Mehta, Consultant, Psychiatry; and Madhu Arora, Chief Dietician. A senior gynaecologist, Dr Alka Sehgal, had pulled her name out of the committee.

Victim got scared, tried to escape

Sources said around 8.40 am before she was operated upon, the 10-year-old  girl tried to escape from the operation theatre as she got scared on seeing a surgical knife and scissors. However, she was convinced to undergo an operation by a child counsellor. The victim’s father was reluctant to sit outside the operation theatre and sought permission from the doctor to leave, but was told to sit there till the operation was in progress. 

Accused uncle’s blood sample sent for DNA test

The rape victim’s uncle, the accused in the case, was brought on a production warrant to a local court. His blood sample was taken, sealed and sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) for a DNA test. The victim was allegedly raped by her uncle for seven months. The matter came to light after the 10-year-old girl complained of abdominal pain and was taken to a doctor where she was found pregnant. The 55-year-old uncle, who hails from Nepal, is lodged in Burail Jail. 

How events unfolded

July 14: Girl complains of acute stomach ache, rushed to hospital. Doctor says she is pregnant. Family questions the girl. The girl names her 55-year-old maternal uncle. Family reports the matter to the police.

July 15: Police arrest the accused for raping the minor. Family moves an application in the court for the termination of pregnancy.

July 18: Citing the 20-week legal sealing, the court seeks a medical opinion from GMCH-32 doctors, who say the termination of pregnancy not possible at such an advanced stage. Plea rejected.

July 20: Delhi-based lawyer approaches the Supreme Court.

July 24: The Supreme Court directs the PGI, Chandigarh, to constitute a board and decide whether the 30-week pregnancy can be terminated.

July 26: The eight-member board of the PGI examines the girl and submits the medical report.

July 28: The sealed report opened in the court. The opinion of the board of doctors is that the termination of pregnancy is not safe either for the girl or the foetus. The apex court directs to continue with the pregnancy.

August 9: Victim admitted to the GMCH

August 17: Delivers a girl child