A three-day-old baby boy was found bloodied, shivering, and miraculously alive after being abandoned in the Nandanwadi forest of Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district. Left beneath a heavy stone, the infant spent a night exposed to the cold, enduring insect bites and near suffocation before his cries drew the attention of nearby villagers at dawn.
The baby, discovered by morning walkers, was found lying on the forest floor with ants crawling over his skin. “At first, we thought it was an animal,” a villager said, according to an NDTV report. “But when we got closer, we saw tiny hands struggling under the stone. No parent should do this,” the report added.
According to police, the child’s parents, Bablu Dandoliya, a government schoolteacher, and his wife, Rajkumari Dandoliya, had secretly delivered their fourth child at home during the early hours of 23 September. Fearing Bablu might lose his government job due to employment regulations that discourage having more than two children, the couple chose to conceal the pregnancy.
Shortly after birth, the baby was taken to the nearby forest and left to die under a stone.
Doctors at the Chhindwara district hospital confirmed the infant had ant bites and was showing signs of hypothermia. “His survival is truly remarkable,” a paediatrician said. “Such exposure is typically fatal for a newborn.”
The child is now under medical care and in stable condition.
As per reports, police have registered a case under Section 93 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to child abandonment. Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Kalyani Barkade stated, “We are reviewing the case with senior officers. Additional charges, including Section 109 BNS (attempt to murder), may be applied after legal consultation.”
Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows Madhya Pradesh has the highest rate of newborn abandonment in the country. While such cases are often linked to poverty or societal stigma, officials and experts have noted the disturbing nature of this incident, not driven by desperation, but by an educated couple choosing to prioritise career security over a child’s life.