synopsis

A police official said the girl was sexually exploited by a man she got acquainted with on social media. "She hid her baby bump from her mother by telling her that she was having some health issues," the official said.

Maharashtra Police has said that a 15-year-old girl from Nagpur, an alleged victim of sexual exploitation, delivered a girl at her home after watching YouTube videos and killed the newborn.

A police official said the girl was sexually exploited by a man she got acquainted with on social media. "She hid her baby bump from her mother by telling her that she was having some health issues," the official said.

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Making matters worse, the minor's mother had smashed her cellphone after realising that her daughter was misusing it to chat with strangers.

The minor had then started using her mother's cellphone, and ensured she deleted browsing history and downloaded content so she was not caught, officials said.

To maintain secrecy, the girl, a resident of Ambazari area, hit upon the idea of home delivery and started watching YouTube videos.

"On March 2, she gave birth to a girl at her home and immediately strangled the newborn to death. She hid the body in a box in her home," the official added.

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When her mother returned home, she questioned the girl about her health condition. "The girl narrated her ordeal to her mother, following which she was taken to a hospital. The body of the newborn was sent for postmortem," he said.

A case was registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The charge of murder will be invoked after receiving a postmortem report, the official added. Further investigation is underway.