Village unites to seek justice for abandoned female foetus

In a rare display of unity, residents of Chandpura village in Fatehabad have rallied together to demand justice after a five-month-old female fetus was found abandoned near a drain last week.

The incident, which has deeply shaken the community, prompted villagers to stage a protest outside Jakhal police station on Thursday. They gave the authorities a 10-day ultimatum to arrest the culprits and warned of intensified demonstrations if no action was taken.

Villagers lashed out at the police for what they called a slow and indifferent investigation.

“This is not just a family or village issue; it concerns the entire society,” said one protester. “Such practices of female foeticide must be eradicated, and the guilty punished severely.”

They demanded that the probe be expedited and that those responsible face strict punishment.

Jakhal police chowki incharge Suresh Kumar assured the villagers that the case was being pursued with utmost seriousness.

“The case is highly sensitive. Police are following legal procedures and some important leads have emerged. No innocent person will be falsely implicated, but the guilty will not be spared,” he said.

He also urged residents to cooperate and share any information that could help identify those involved.

Representatives of several social and political organisations joined the protest, including Block Committee member Ramchandra, social worker Kala Grewal, youth leader Aditya Bansal, and members of Paggdi Sambhal Jatta, Dr BR Ambedkar Rights Forum and local farmer groups. Women and schoolgirls also participated, vowing to continue their agitation until justice is delivered.

The female foetus was discovered on October 22 near a religious place in Chandpura, sparking widespread shock and outrage. The police took the foetus for postmortem at Agroha Medical College, but later conducted the last rites at Shivpuri Sudhar Sabha, Fatehabad, without informing the villagers — a move that further inflamed tempers.

Villagers accused the administration of disregarding their sentiments and called the act a serious assault on social morality.

“This reflects the declining ethical values in our society. We must unite to eliminate female foeticide and related crimes,” they said.

The community warned that if no concrete progress is made within the next few days, they will intensify their protest at a larger scale.