Newborn rescued from bush a day after contractor held for raping help

Kendrapada: A day after a 70-year-old contractor was arrested in Jajpur district for allegedly raping his 16-year-old domestic help and apparently forcing her to undergo an abortion, police on Tuesday rescued a newborn girl from a bush near his house. Investigators are examining whether the premature baby was delivered by the survivor.The managing director of a private hospital where the girl six-month-old pregnancy was supposedly terminated was also arrested.
However, the case took a new turn when locals heard a baby's cries from a bush near the contractor's house late on Monday night and rescued the newborn. Police rushed to the spot and admitted the baby to a govt hospital. Her condition is stated to be stable. The teen survivor was produced before a court on Tuesday to record her statement. "It is mandatory under law that when a rape case is reported, the survivor must be produced before the nearest judicial magistrate for recording her statement," said investigation officer Ashis Kumar Sahoo. District child protection officer (DCPO) Niranjan Kar said they reached the hospital soon after learning about the abandoned baby. "The newborn appears to be premature. We will initiate legal procedures for DNA testing, which will help establish her biological parents. Blood samples of the accused, the girl and the newborn will be collected as per the court's direction," Kar added.