Malkangiri: A woman reportedly faked pregnancy and exploited the benefits provided by various government schemes in Malkangiri district, a source said Tuesday.
The woman was identified as Kaushalya Bhuyan who is a resident of Biranpalli village under Mathili block in Malkangiri district.
According to the source, the matter came out after a check-up was conducted on her Monday in a hospital in Malkangiri district that revealed she was not pregnant. Later, the woman went on to allege that her baby was stolen from the hospital.
After the revelation of her test result, the hospital staff handed her over to the police where she confessed faking pregnancy during questioning, said the source.
According to Malkangiri CDMO Prafulla Kumar Nanda, Kaushalya had already undergone the family planning operation in 2017. Hence her claim about ‘child theft’ was baseless.
The source said that Kaushalya even allegedly lied to her husband about the pregnancy.
Kaushalya got her name registered with a local Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) worker. She used to visit the ANM worker every month and allegedly availed the benefits of government schemes meant for the betterment of pregnant women, the source added.
ASHA worker Asamati Gouda informed the media about the family planning surgery done on Kaushalya.
A probe into the matter has been launched and appropriate actions will be taken, the CDMO informed.
PNN