Woman Booked for Abandoning Prematurely Delivered Foetus in Kozhikode

Police in Kozhikode, Kerala, have registered a case against a 26-year-old woman accused of abandoning a prematurely delivered foetus. The incident occurred on April 15, 2026, when the body of a six-month-old foetus was discovered in a secluded area within the premises of a church on Convent Road. A member of a pilgrimage group spotted the remains and alerted the parish priest, who subsequently contacted the authorities. Investigators identified the suspect, a native of Palakkad named Franco, through CCTV footage from the location. Reports indicate that she was part of the same pilgrimage group and was accompanied by family members at the time. Preliminary investigations suggest that the woman went into labor during the trip, delivered the foetus, and left it behind to conceal the event. Following her identification, the woman was admitted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital and placed under police surveillance as the probe continues. During questioning, she reportedly confessed to abandoning the body, claiming that the baby was stillborn. The Town police station is handling the ongoing investigation into this sensitive case involving alleged infanticide or abandonment.