Delhi Court Orders Exhumation of Newborn’s Body in Begusarai for DNA Test in Rape Case

Begusarai: On the directives of Delhi’s Rohini Court, a police team from Delhi, accompanied by local authorities, exhumed the body of a newborn in Begusarai on Monday.

The infant, buried eight days ago near Mahmadpur along a railway line, was disinterred in the presence of a magistrate and city police officials. Following a post-mortem at Sadar Hospital, the last rites were performed on the banks of the Ganga, with the entire process videographed as per court orders. The remains have been preserved for a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) investigation and DNA testing.

The case stems from a harrowing incident in Delhi’s Prem Nagar, where a 13-year-old girl, daughter of a Begusarai family residing in Delhi, was allegedly raped multiple times by their 55-year-old landlord. The family, consisting of the girl’s parents who worked daily jobs, left the minor alone at home, enabling the accused to exploit her vulnerability. The landlord allegedly threatened to kill her if she disclosed the assaults.

The abuse came to light when the girl became pregnant. Due to the advanced stage of pregnancy, abortion was not viable. The victim’s mother filed a case at Prem Nagar police station, leading to the arrest and imprisonment of the accused. The case is under trial at the court of Additional Sessions Judge-4 (POCSO) in Rohini.

Last month, the minor gave birth to a child, after which the family brought her back to Begusarai. Tragically, the 22-day-old newborn died eight days ago and was buried in Mahmadpur. During the trial, the accused denied the rape allegations, prompting the court to order a DNA test to establish paternity. When the victim’s family informed the court of the infant’s death, the Rohini Court directed the Begusarai District Magistrate (DM) to exhume the body, conduct a post-mortem, and perform the last rites under videography.

The Begusarai DM appointed the Sadar Block Development Officer (BDO) as the magistrate to oversee the process. On Monday evening, a medical board conducted the post-mortem, and the infant’s cremation took place at Ganga Ghat that night. The remains have been handed over to investigators for FSL analysis and DNA testing, which are expected to play a crucial role in the ongoing trial.