Pregnant woman slips from second floor, delivers stillborn in Kodambakkam

A 21-year-old woman delivered a stillborn after she allegedly slipped from the second floor of her house in Kodambakkam on Monday. The woman is undergoing treatment at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai.

Enquiries revealed that the woman was unmarried and her parents were not aware of her pregnancy. however, police are suspicious of their claims.

The incident happened around 8 am on Monday when the woman went to the terrace on the second floor to dry clothes. As there was no parapet wall, the woman allegedly slipped and fell from a height of about 30 ft.

As she was almost in her ninth month of pregnancy, she delivered a still born soon after the fall at the spot. Neighbours, who rushed to the spot, were shocked to find the woman and the infant and rushed them to a nearby hospital. However, the child was declared dead and the woman was shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for treatment. "The woman has suffered fractures in her leg and spine, but she is out of danger though she did not talk about the pregnancy and the infant's death," said police.

Though her parents allegedly insisted police not register a case, Vadapalani police have registered a case under Section 316 (Causing death of quick unborn child by act amounting to culpable homicide) of IPC and further investigation is on. Police said that the woman has been in relationship with her ITI classmate and suspected that the family might be in the know of her pregnancy. Inquiries are on if the incident is really an accident or the woman attempted suicide out of a family quarrel. "The sections will be altered if required after the investigation," said police.