A 23-year-old man, alleged to be the father of a baby born inside a cave in Udadumbara, has been released on a surety bail of Rs. 500,000.
The suspect was produced before the Teldeniya Magistrate’s Court today (15), following his arrest over the incident involving a 15-year-old girl who gave birth while living in a cave in Karambaketiya, Udadumbara.
Meanwhile, a 36-year-old man, reportedly a relative of the main suspect and also arrested in connection with the incident, has been remanded until November 20.
The 15-year-old girl, a resident of Kandaketiya in Meemure near the Knuckles Mountain Range, had reportedly gone missing several months ago.
Police launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from her family.
During the investigation, officers became suspicious of a youth who was purchasing unusually large quantities of rice from a local shop daily.
Police subsequently followed the man and discovered the missing girl inside a cave covered with polythene sheets in a remote forest area. She was found with her two-month-old baby girl.
Investigations revealed that the teenager had given birth inside the cave, with the baby's umbilical cord reportedly cut using a sharp tool used in the kithul tapping industry.
According to police, the suspects had used herbal remedies collected from the forest to treat the mother and baby. The infant had also reportedly been bathed using a pan normally used in the production of kithul treacle.
The 23-year-old man and the 36-year-old relative were arrested by Udadumbara Police yesterday (14).
The 15-year-old girl and her baby were subsequently taken into police care and transferred to the Kandy National Hospital for further medical treatment and examinations.
Further investigations are underway.
