Kozhikode: The Kozhikode Town Police have taken a 25-year-old woman into custody after the body of her newborn child was found on the premises of a church on Convent Road in the city.

The woman, a native of Kozhinjampara in Palakkad, had arrived in Kozhikode as part of a pilgrimage group that travelled in 13 tourist buses to the Devamatha Cathedral.

The incident came to light on Wednesday evening when a member of the group spotted the infant’s body near the church premises and alerted the priest, who then informed the police. After examining CCTV footage, police identified the woman, who was part of the pilgrimage group, as the one who had delivered the baby.

The police said that the woman went into labour and delivered the baby in an isolated area behind the church. She allegedly abandoned the newborn, claiming it was stillborn, fearing repercussions if others in the group came to know.

Police said the woman’s husband, first child and other relatives were also part of the same pilgrimage group, but she had not informed them about the pregnancy or the delivery. 

The baby’s body, found with the umbilical cord cut, was later shifted to the Medical College mortuary for postmortem. The woman, who was found in a weak condition, was initially admitted to Kottapparamba Government Hospital and later shifted to the Medical College Hospital for further treatment.

Police said a detailed probe was underway, including questioning of the woman and her family, to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. A case of unnatural death was registered.