On August 24 last year, Manju had given birth to a girl at 12.30 pm in Lady Harding Medical College Hospital. However, around 6.30 pm, the baby was found dead and the doctors noticed nail marks and bruises on her neck.

After the postmortem report confirmed the death was due to smothering and strangling, Manju was arrested on August 31, and subsequently booked for murder.

During arguments on the charge yesterday, Manju tried to steer clear of the accusation claiming there were around 20 persons present in the hospital room as well, and had she committed the offence, they would have witnessed it.

She also contended that her daughter had died “due to their negligence and instead of her, they should be nailed for the death of her baby”.

The court, however, found no force in her discharge plea and said there were enough prima facie evidence on record pointing to her guilt.

“If evidence collected raises strong suspicion in the mind of the court that the accused committed the offence, the charge is to be framed,” Additional Sessions Judge V K Bansal said.

As the court ordered her to stand trial for allegedly killing her child, Manju moved her bail application, saying she should be granted the reprieve as there was nobody to look after her four-year-old son.

She claimed her husband did not live with her and since the trial could take long, she should be released on bail to take care of her infant son.

Acceding to her plea, the ASJ said, “Keeping in view the submissions, the facts of the case discussed above and the fact that she is a woman having a four-year-old son, she is ordered to be released on bail”.