Parents of baby rescued from Odisha borewell identified

SAMBALPUR: Twenty-two days after her rescue from an abandoned borewell in a forested area of Odisha's Sambalpur district, the police said the biological parents of the baby girl were identified.

The baby is her mother's second child, an officer said, adding that the details of the incident are not yet clear as the woman has been hospitalised in a compromised mental state.

The baby, who is now named 'Bijayini' by doctors, was found trapped 13 ft deep in the borewell at Laripali on December 12 last year. The villagers had first heard the cries of the baby from inside the borewell and informed the authorities leading to her rescue.

''Following the rescue operation, a case was registered, and the mother's identity was determined within 2-3 days. However, due to the woman's compromised mental state, she was unable to provide details about the incident,'' Sambalpur Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo said on Tuesday.

She is undergoing treatment for postpartum depression at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

According to police, a DNA test will be conducted to verify the biological connection.

The husband of the woman was absent on the day of the incident.

''The condition of the woman is improving. She is likely to be discharged within a day or two. The investigation to find the truth behind the incident will be conducted after the woman is discharged,'' the police officer said.

Meanwhile, the doctors at VIMSAR hospital said that the health condition of the baby was improving and she had started taking food.

''Her weight was only 1600 grams during rescue and now it has increased to 1935 grams. Her internal bleeding has also stopped,'' the doctor attending to her said.