A 40-year-old man was arrested in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district on Friday, August 8, 2025, for allegedly raping his 16-year-old daughter, impregnating her, and abandoning their newborn in bushes, police confirmed. The heinous crime, uncovered after a day-old infant was found covered in ant bites, has sent shockwaves through the community and raised urgent questions about child protection and familial abuse.

The case came to light on August 4, 2025, when villagers in the Maheshwar police station area discovered a newborn girl abandoned in bushes, her mouth, nose, and hands bitten by ants. Maheshwar SHO Jagdish Goyal arranged immediate first aid at a local hospital before transferring the infant to Khargone District Hospital. A case was initially filed against an unknown person under Section 93 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for child abandonment.

Further investigation revealed the infant’s mother was a 16-year-old girl, admitted to a clinic in critical condition. The teenager disclosed to police that her father raped her multiple times while they worked as laborers in Rajkot, Gujarat, leading to her pregnancy. After she delivered at home, the accused allegedly conducted the delivery himself, and when she lost consciousness, he discarded the newborn in the bushes and fled.

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Superintendent of Police Dharamraj Meena confirmed the accused was arrested on Friday and charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant BNS sections, including rape and child abandonment. The minor’s statement was recorded in court under Section 183 of BNS, and DNA samples from the baby, the survivor, and the accused were sent for forensic testing to confirm paternity. The accused was produced in court and remanded to judicial custody.

The infant, battling severe respiratory issues due to ant bites, was shifted to MTH Hospital in Indore and remains on ventilator support in the Special Newborn Care Unit, according to Dr. Pawan Patidar. The 16-year-old survivor, found in a weakened state, received medical treatment and was sent to her cousin’s home as per her wishes, with ongoing support from the One Stop Centre.

This case follows a disturbing pattern of sexual violence in Khargone, with recent reports of other assaults, including a gang rape of a 16-year-old and a 40-year-old laborer raping his minor daughter. The incident underscores systemic failures in protecting vulnerable minors, prompting calls for stricter enforcement of child safety laws.

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