A chilling case of newborn abandonment has emerged in Madhya Pradesh, where a government school teacher and his wife left their three-day-old baby in a forest, fearing the loss of employment under the state’s two-child policy.
The couple, Bablu Thandolia, a teacher from Nandanwadi, and his wife Rajkumari, already have three children. When Rajkumari gave birth to a fourth child, the couple—terrified of violating government service rules—took the infant into the forest and abandoned him on a rock.
The two-child norm, introduced by the Madhya Pradesh government on January 26, 2001, bars employees with more than two children from continuing in service. Police said the parents admitted to abandoning the baby out of fear that Bablu would lose his teaching job.
The baby was discovered when villagers, out for a morning walk, heard his cries. He was rushed to a hospital after being found covered in ant bites and suffering from cold exposure. Doctors confirmed that the infant is now safe and recovering.
Police have registered a case and are investigating. Authorities are also working to secure the child’s future welfare.
According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Madhya Pradesh continues to record the highest number of newborn abandonment cases in India.
