Madhya Pradesh: In a shocking incident, a three-day-old newborn was abandoned under a heavy rock in Nandanwadi forest, Chhindwara district, by his parents, who reportedly feared losing the father’s government job under the state’s two-child policy. The infant was the couple’s fourth child.

The baby endured a night of cold, insect bites, and near-suffocation before villagers, alerted by his cries, discovered him struggling beneath the stone and rescued him.

Bablu Dandoliya, a government school teacher, and his wife Rajkumari allegedly concealed the pregnancy to comply with rules discouraging government employees from having more than two children, police said.

A paediatrician described the newborn’s survival as “nothing short of miraculous,” adding that exposure under such conditions is usually fatal. The baby is currently under medical supervision and is out of danger.

A case has been registered under Section 93 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for child abandonment. SDOP Kalyani Barkade said authorities are consulting senior officers and may add further sections, including 109 BNS (attempt to murder), following legal review.