The mystery over the parentage of a new-born girl, who lied abandoned in a hospital here as two couples staked claim over a boy born on the same day, was solved on Thursday with a DNA test confirming Poonam Kanwar as her biological mother.
The DNA report was produced by police in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate which was read by the Magistrate in the presence of Poonam's husband Chain Singh and hospital Superintendent Dr Narendra Changani.
Accepting the report, Singh agreed to take possession of the girl who was under the supervision of the hospital's nursery unit soon after her birth. After this development, he told reporters outside the court that he was interested in knowing the result of this DNA report in order to avoid any confusion.
The girl was mistakenly exchanged with the boy by the hospital staff on March 25. After delivery, the hospital staff gave the boy to Poonam but after around two hours, they said that the boy was mistakenly handed over to her and took him back.
The staffers then gave her the girl saying she was born to her. The boy was handed over to Reshmi Devi wife of Sagar Ram following which Chain Singh and his family members created a ruckus and claimed that the boy belongs to them and rejected the girl.
A committee of the hospital also looked into the matter and prima-facie found that the boy belongs to Reshmi and the girl belongs to Poonam.
Matching of blood samples also made it clear that the girl belonged to Poonam. However, they were not satisfied so the hospital administration decided to go in for a DNA test.
The baby girl remained deprived of breastfeeding for eight days since her birth and Poonam was allowed to breastfeed the girl on the night of April 2 after suo moto cognisance by the Rajasthan High Court and the State Commission for Women.
The high court had ordered action to be initiated by the Chief Judicial Magistrate for providing protection to the girl child, including her right to be maintained by her parents and also appointed advocate Raj Lakshmi Choudhary as the girl's amicus curie.