Native woman, newborn dies in Kancheepuram; CPI (M) demands strict action

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged strict action over the death of an Irular tribal woman and her newborn in Kancheepuram district after she was allegedly prevented from going to a hospital to give birth.

A statement issued by the party said that the Irular couple, Ananthan and Thenmozhi, had taken a loan advance of ₹20,000 for a job from a firewood merchant named Arumugam and worked for him, with Arumugam refusing to allow the woman to go to the hospital for delivery.

The party said that when the woman gave birth on September 9, she tried to deliver the baby in the tent where they were staying, resulting in the death of both the mother and baby due to excessive bleeding. The CPI(M) demanded a thorough investigation into the matter and called for the registration of cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atroities) Act against all involved, including Arumugam, who allegedly denied her access to medical care, and adequate compensation for Thenmozhi’s family.

Published – 10 Sep 2026 0:06 IST