Bhubaneswar: A woman in Birenpalli village under Mathili block in Odisha’s Malkangiri district reportedly faked ‘pregnancy’ for several months to avail of the benefits offered by the government to pregnant women.
The accused has been identified as Kaushalya Bhuyan.
According to reports, after Kaushalya’s claims of being pregnant were revealed as false during a medical check-up on Monday, she claimed that her baby was stolen from the hospital.
Kaushalya even cheated on her husband Bundu Poti by lying to him that she was pregnant. In order to avail the benefits given to pregnant women in the state, Kaushalya registered her name with the local Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) worker and visited the latter every month to receive the items supplied by the government under its welfare scheme for pregnant women.
Kaushalya’s fraud was exposed on Monday when she was taken for an ultrasound test. When it was found that she had been lying, the woman said that she gave birth to a child but the baby was stolen from the hospital.
However, coming under pressure from the hospital authorities and police, she confessed that she pretended to be pregnant only to receive the benefits given to pregnant women. Surprisingly, Kaushalya also confessed that she had undergone a family planning surgery in 2017.
Kaushalya later told the media, “I was taken to the labour room and told that my delivery will be carried out after some time. When the nurse checked, she said my stomach has swollen due to gas.”
Meanwhile, Dr Prafulla Kumar Nanda, the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Malkangiri, said an investigation into the matter will be carried out and necessary action will be taken. Kaushalya has been handed over to the police and they will take necessary steps as per law, he added.
