Newborn’s Body Dumped by Sweeper After Taking Money for Cremation, Police Investigate Incident

KalimNews, 20 Sept 2024, SILIGURI: A heartbreaking and shocking incident unfolded in Siliguri when the body of a newborn baby was found discarded in a garbage dump on Vivekananda Road near Khalpara on Wednesday night. The infant, born to a couple from Kalimpong, tragically did not survive.

The father, who had admitted his wife to the Siliguri District Hospital on September 17 due to complications during her pregnancy, was handed the stillborn baby boy by the hospital. Struggling to cope with the grief and unfamiliar with the area, the father reportedly entrusted the body to a hospital sweeper, who promised to arrange for the baby’s cremation through someone else for a fee of Rs 3,000.

However, instead of fulfilling the promise, the sweeper allegedly dumped the baby’s body in a garbage heap on Vivekananda Road, where it was later discovered by ragpickers. The discovery of the discarded body caused an uproar in the local community, prompting the Khalpara police to launch an immediate investigation.

The body was recovered and brought back to the hospital by the police, who traced it to the father. The mother remains admitted to the hospital. This incident has sparked widespread outrage, and authorities are investigating the matter.