Minor delivers baby in exam centre’s washroom in Pitampura:Police yet to trace lover after 15 days; DNA test to reveal father

Pithampur, the industrial hub of Madhya Pradesh, has been in the news after a shocking incident that occurred on February 24. During the Class 10 board examination, a 17-year-old student, struggling with her mathematics paper, gave birth to a child in the school washroom. Fifteen days have passed since the incident, yet many questions remain unanswered. Police are still searching for the accused who allegedly left the minor in this condition. According to the student’s statement, the accused is her lover. Meanwhile, the case has taken another twist. The family claims the minor was already engaged, which has raised doubts about the real father of the newborn. Because of this confusion, police have decided to conduct a DNA test to establish paternity. At present, the newborn is under the care of a child welfare institution in Indore. Newborn’s cry echoed from washroom Chaos and medical emergency Realising the seriousness of the situation, the school management immediately informed the 108 ambulance service and the Betma police station. Within minutes, an ambulance and a police team reached the school. The medical team conducted a preliminary health check-up of both the student and the newborn. Considering their condition, both were immediately taken to the Pithampur Community Health Center. After initial treatment there, doctors referred them to Dhar District Hospital for better medical care. The newborn required special care and was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the district hospital. After a few days of treatment, when the baby’s health improved, he was discharged. However, due to legal procedures and because the mother is a minor, the newborn was not handed over to the family. The child has been sent to a child welfare institution in Indore, where he is currently being cared for. 15 days later, accused still absconding Even 15 days after the incident, police have not arrested the accused, whom the student has identified as her lover. Rural SP Yangchen Dolkar Bhutia said two special police teams have been formed and are conducting continuous raids at possible hideouts. Investigators say the accused has completely cut himself off from digital communication, he is neither using a mobile phone nor active on social media, making technical surveillance difficult. As a result, police are relying on traditional methods, including informants and questioning his friends and relatives. Police have also raided the accused’s house in Manpur several times, but he was not found there. His family claims they have no information about his whereabouts. SP Bhutia has directed Betma police to arrest him as soon as possible so the full truth of the case can emerge. The biggest question: Who is the father? The investigation has become more complicated due to another major twist. The biggest question before the police now is identifying the child’s father. In her statement to the police, the student named her boyfriend. She said their friendship began about two years ago, and they had been in a physical relationship for the past year. She also claimed that she never told her family about the relationship because she was afraid. However, the family has given a different version. They say the student was already engaged, and her fiancé used to visit their house frequently. This contradiction has created serious doubts about the child’s paternity. Because of this, police have decided not to draw any conclusions yet. According to SP Bhutia, it cannot be officially confirmed who the father is until a DNA test is conducted. Family didn’t know about pregnancy Notice to Principal and Assistant Centre Superintendent This incident has also raised serious questions about the functioning of the education department. The Assistant Commissioner (Tribal Development Department) of Dhar, taking serious note of the matter, has issued show-cause notices to Kalpana Bhargava, Principal of Government Girls High School, and Mukesh Parmar, Assistant Centre Superintendent of the examination. The main points of the notice are as follows: 1. Question to the Principal: “You are the head of the institution. It is your responsibility to monitor the health and activities of the students. A student was pregnant for nine months, and you were unaware of it. This is a serious negligence on your part. Why did you not inform the senior office about this situation?” 2. Question to the Assistant Centre Superintendent: “Board examination is a sensitive and essential service. Such a major incident occurred at your centre, and you did not deem it necessary to immediately inform the senior officials of the department? Officials learned about this incident the next day from newspapers, which tarnished the image of the department. Why should disciplinary action not be taken against you?”