Odisha: Sleeping infant snatched from parents by monkey, found dead in well

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: A newborn, who had been snatched away by a monkey from its mother’s side on Saturday at Talabasta village of Banki in Cuttack district, was found dead on Sunday inside a well near the house, the police said.

The police and forest department officials could not trace the 16-day-old boy during their day-long searches on Saturday.

The family members of the new born first spotted the body floating in the 15-feet-deep well and retrieved it with the help of villagers, police said.

The eyewitnesses said the body bore an injury mark and was probably inside the well for over 24 hours, although it had not bloated.

We are waiting for the autopsy report to ascertain the cause of death of the baby, which had a premature birth under Cesarean section, said investigating officer Priyabrat Rout.

It appeared the newborn might have slipped from the clutches of the monkey and subsequently died after falling into the well, but the investigation is in progress and is taking all possibilities into consideration, the police said.