newborn
Goa Children’s Court on Wednesday rejected the bail application of Reshma Shaikh (39) from Indira Nagar, Chimbel, who was accused of killing her newborn baby girl in December 2015.
Children’s Court president, Vinaya Tendulkar, rejected the bail application observing that the investigating officer has yet to file the chargesheet in the matter. The court stated that bail can be applied for only after the chargesheet has been filed.
Shaikh, a mother of four kids, had separated from her husband around five years ago, and was residing at her parent’s place since then. This, however, could adversely affect her four children who are 8 to 12 years old and are presently under the guardianship of their grandmother.
Old Goa police had informed that Shaikh was having an affair which resulted in conception. She delivered the baby on December 12, 2015 at her residence and then smothered her to death and went to the GMC’s casualty ward.
Shaikh brought the baby to the casualty ward of Goa Medical College, Bambolim and doctors immediately notified the police as the baby was declared brought dead.
Police proceeded to register the FIR on the basis of post mortem report, which indicated that the baby had died due to smothering.
The report categorically ruled the cause of death to be ‘asphyxia consequent to mechanical compression of the nose and lips associated with head injury in the form of subarachnoid hemorrhage as a result of blunt force impact which was fatal in the ordinary course of nature’.
The accused subsequently confessed to committing the crime and was placed under arrest December 14. Old Goa police registered offence against Shaikh under Section 302 of IPC and Section 8 (2) of Goa Children’s Act.
Shaikh was remanded to two days of police custody after her arrest, following which she had been under judicial custody.
With the Children’s Court rejecting her bail application, she will continue to remain under judicial custody till police file a chargesheet in the case.
