MP: Teacher couple abandons fourth child over fear of losing jobs

A teacher couple from Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district allegedly abandoned their fourth child in a forest, fearing that they would lose their jobs, an official said on Friday. The couple got exposed after a biker heard the cries of the child and alerted the police. The child, a baby boy, was born on September 24, and his parents left him in the Nandanwadi-Tahtori forest under Amarwara tehsil, said Sub Divisional Officer of Police Kalyani Barkade.

After being rescued, the baby was admitted to the district hospital, and the police launched a probe to identify its parents. The baby's parents, posted in the primary school at Sidhouli in Amarwara tehsil, were eventually tracked down. They told the police that the baby was their fourth child, and they were scared they would lose their government jobs.

However, under Madhya Pradesh civil service rules, a government employee is ineligible for their job if they have a third child born after January 26, 2001.

The couple, Bablu Dandolia (38) and Rajkumari Dandolia (28), were arrested on Wednesday. They were produced in a court, which later granted them bail, the official said.

Block Education Officer Virendra Verma said the matter is being investigated. District Education Officer Gopal Singh Baghel said he has sought records from the school regarding the couple's appointment as teachers. Appropriate steps would be taken after the probe, he added.

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