A 26-year-old woman working as a house help was arrested after police said she strangled her newborn baby and threw the body in a plastic bag. The incident happened in the Patel Nagar area of Delhi.

On July 28, police received a phone call about a newborn’s body found in a white plastic bag in a flat’s parking area in West Patel Nagar. When they reached the spot, they found the body of a baby boy and called the crime team for investigation. The body was later taken to a hospital mortuary for examination.

The woman, Roshni, had been working as a domestic helper since 2023. Originally from Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, she had gone to her village in November 2024 for a wedding. There, she entered into a physical relationship with her boyfriend. When she returned to Delhi and found out she was pregnant, she informed him, but he refused to take responsibility, a senior police officer said.

Roshni had earlier been married in 2019 but got divorced in 2021.

When her employers noticed swelling in her stomach and asked her to see a doctor, she told them she had a medical condition.

According to police, Roshni gave birth on July 26, while the house owners were away at a party. She delivered the baby alone in the bathroom. A senior officer said, “She confessed to strangling the infant with a piece of cloth due to fear of social stigma, and then placed the body in a plastic bag, which she discarded in the trash area of the building.”

Two days later, a sanitation worker found the body while picking up garbage. Roshni had already left the house, but she was later called back. Her employers informed the police.

The post-mortem was done on July 29 at RML Hospital. Doctors confirmed that the newborn had died due to strangulation.

The police then began an inquest under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which is a law followed in such death cases. Later, a formal case was registered under Section 103(1) for murder and Section 238(a) for trying to hide the crime.

Before being arrested, Roshni was taken to the Sakhi One Stop Centre at LNJP Hospital for care. Police said her statement will be recorded in front of a magistrate after she gets legal support.

Police also plan to question her boyfriend, who lives in the same village as her. He may also be arrested based on what the investigation reveals.

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