The Bombay High Court at Goa has quashed the chargesheet and ongoing proceedings against a woman accused of abandoning her month-old baby behind her home in Borda last year, after accepting that her actions were not deliberate but stemmed from a severe mental health condition triggered by childbirth.
The court was informed that the woman, suffering from postpartum psychosis, had wrapped her premature daughter in a plastic bag and left her outside her house in a state of mental distress. Neighbours spotted the infant soon after, and she was found unharmed. The police had later filed charges of child abandonment, causing grievous hurt and cruelty to a child.
Arguing for the woman, advocate Caroline Collasso explained that the incident occurred under extreme psychological strain and was not a calculated act. She detailed how the woman had undergone an emergency caesarean section, delivered a premature baby weighing just 1.3kg.
A rare, severe mental illness that occurs after childbirth
Considered a psychiatric emergency
Affects approximately 1 to 2 in every1,000new mothers
Typically begins within the first 2 weeks after delivery
Delusions (false beliefs, often bizarre or paranoid)
Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there)
Severe mood swings (highs and lows, sometimes similar to bipolar disorder)
Confusion, disorientation
Agitation or irritability
Insomnia or inability to rest
Thoughts of harming self or baby
The woman was also battling multiple challenges, including pre-eclampsia, the sudden death of her father during her hospital stay, and the stress of prolonged neonatal care. The infant was kept in the NICU for a period, and the mother had to endure long hours of skin-to-skin kangaroo care, exclusive breastfeeding, and severe sleep deprivation — all of which compounded her emotional vulnerability.
Postpartum psychosis, Collasso said, typically arises within the first week after childbirth and is marked by confusion, obsessive thoughts concerning the baby, disorientation and in extreme cases, a risk of harm to oneself or the infant. The woman’s condition had gone undiagnosed, and her family had been unaware of the warning signs.
She also informed the court that the mother and her husband share a strong relationship and are now jointly focused on raising their daughter. Both extended families have expressed support and have chosen to move forward as a united front. The husband has acknowledged the mother’s recovery and said she has been taking excellent care of their child, who is now doing well.
Taking these factors into account, the high court set aside the charges, effectively bringing the case to a close.