In a harrowing incident tied to rigid state employment rules, a government school teacher and his wife in Madhya Pradesh stand accused of burying their newborn son alive in a forest, allegedly driven by panic over violating the state’s two-child policy. Remarkably, the infant survived and was rescued after desperate cries alerted villagers.

The Incident

On September 26, in Nandanwadi village under the Dhanora area of Chhindwara district, the couple—identified as 38-year-old Bablu Dandolia and his 28-year-old wife Rajkumari—transported their three-day-old son to a forested location on a motorcycle. There, they buried him under a mound of earth and stones. Locals later heard unusual noises and discovered the infant, trapped beneath debris. Bystanders swiftly extracted the baby and rushed him to a hospital, where he is undergoing treatment. The baby’s cries ultimately saved his life.

Police first registered a case of child abandonment, but upon releasing a video that showed the child nearly buried under stones, they upgraded the charges to include attempt to murder. Investigators say the rights of the child and medical evaluation will determine the extent of legal culpability.

Motivations and Background

The primary motive surfaced during police questioning: the teacher and his wife feared that registering the child would breach Madhya Pradesh’s two-child policy for government employees and cause Bablu to lose his job. Authorities say the couple already had three children—an 11-year-old daughter, a 7-year-old daughter, and a 4-year-old son. They reportedly concealed the birth of the third child from official records to comply with employment eligibility. The newborn, being a fourth, posed a direct threat to Bablu’s continued service under the regulation.

Under the state’s two-child rule, public servants with more than two children born after a set cut-off date are disqualified from holding government posts. The couple’s fear of losing livelihood appears to have escalated into a drastic and inhumane action.

Legal and Administrative Ramifications

Once apprehended, the duo were presented before a local magistrate and remanded to judicial custody. The police have collected DNA samples, medical records, and witness testimonies. Further investigations will explore whether the child’s condition qualifies for homicide charges rather than just abandonment or attempted murder.

On the administrative side, the education department is preparing to issue a show-cause notice against Bablu Dandolia. Depending on officially confirmed records and departmental review, he could face suspension or dismissal from his teaching post under the two-child policy. Education officials say formal charges must be received before internal action can proceed.

Broader Social and Policy Concerns

This case casts a harsh spotlight on the unintended consequences of rigid population control rules when applied to employment regulation. While the two-child policy is intended to regulate public service eligibility, critics argue that such measures can push individuals into fear, concealment, and desperate actions—especially among lower-income government workers.

Madhya Pradesh has repeatedly recorded one of the highest levels of infant abandonment in the country, as per crime and health reports. This incident may factor into debates over whether punitive policies exacerbate rather than mitigate risks to vulnerable children.

Child rights activists and legal experts are likely to argue that the state must reassess norms that incentivise extreme fear. They may call for safeguards that prioritize the safety and rights of children over administrative compliance.

What Happens Next

Investigators will also look for accomplices or any network that may have helped conceal the birth, falsify records, or facilitate disposal. The health and recovery of the newborn are under close medical observation; if fully stabilized, the child may be placed under state protective care.

Legally, the case may rest on forensic evidence, witness testimony, and medical records about whether the baby was alive at the time of burial. Concurrently, departmental disciplinary proceedings could determine whether Bablu’s job continues or is terminated.

This disturbing episode forces a reckoning: how far should population control policies reach into personal and reproductive spaces, and what protections must the state extend to ensure that no child becomes the victim of fear and regulation?