NHRC notices to Maha, MP govts after woman gave birth on road

The NHRC has sent notices to the Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh governments over reports that a pregnant woman, who was walking on foot from Nashik to Satna, gave birth to her child on road, officials said on Thursday.

The rights panel has termed the incident an "indignity to motherhood".

According to reports, the woman and her husband had reportedly started their journey from Maharashtra's Nashik and were walking towards their home in Satna in Madhya Pradesh, when she gave birth to the child on road.

The couple rested for two hours after the delivery of the baby and then continued walking for the remaining 150 km, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement, quoting the reports.

The commission has observed that the incident amounts to sheer negligence of the state authorities, resulting in violation of human rights of the victim woman. The rights to life and dignity of the poor woman have been grossly violated, it said in the statement.

Accordingly, the panel has issued notices to the chief secretaries of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, calling for a detailed report within four weeks, including the health status of the woman and the child, and also if any relief and rehabilitation has been provided by the state authorities to the aggrieved family, it said.