Indian-origin woman in US throws newborn out of window; charged with attempt to murder: report

PTI, Oct 14, 2020, 3:30 PM IST

New York: A 23-year-old Indian-origin woman in the US has been charged with attempt to murder for tossing her newborn baby out of a bathroom window, according to a media report.

Sabita Dookram, who is a resident of Queens in New York, gave birth to a baby boy on Saturday while taking bath, following which she panicked and threw the baby out of the window into an alley, the New York Post reported on Tuesday.

Later on, instead of informing anyone, Dookram cleaned the washroom, showered and took a nap.

“I had a baby out of nowhere. I went to the bathroom, and the baby popped out of me. I didn’t know what to do, I’m sorry. I panicked and threw it out of the bathroom window. I did not check on the baby. I put my clothes in the laundry hamper in the bathroom, I showered and went to sleep,’’ Dookram said to the investigators.

Dookram said she cut the cord with a scissor from the bathroom.

The infant, who survived the fall, was taken to a children’s hospital in a critical condition by the neighbours who discovered the baby after hearing his cry and later informed the police too, the report said.

He had numerous injuries including brain bleeding, swelling of his brain, skull fracture.

He was immediately put on a ventilator at the hospital and is still on life support in critical condition.

Following the investigation, Dookram was charged with attempt to murder, the report said.

Assistant District Attorney Melissa Kelly in the court argued for USD 50,000 bail for the suspect, noting that Dookram “is able to hold down a job.

“Meanwhile, she threw a full-term baby boy out of a window over 5 feet high’’ and left him “naked on the ground for several hours,” the ADA said.

“She is able to do her laundry. She is able to clean the bathroom … all while the child was crying,’’ Kelly said — adding that authorities have video surveillance “where we can hear the baby’s wails.”

The prosecutor claimed that Dookram made “numerous contradictory statements” to cops to cover up her heinous crime.