A newborn baby boy was allegedly burnt alive by his grandmother in Sankarankovil area of Tenkasi on Wednesday. The half-burnt body of the baby was found on the premises of a theatre located on Railway Feeder Road.

The incident came to light at around 4 am when some of the passengers saw flames on the road. When the flames were doused, the passengers were shocked to find the dead body of a child.

The locals then informed the police and the body of the deceased was sent for an autopsy. The Sankarankovil police also brought a sniffer dog for the investigation.

The sniffer dog ran for about 300 metres from the spot where the body was found to a house of a 22-year-old woman. Initially, the police suspected that the boy was set ablaze as he was stillborn. However, an investigation revealed that the child was born alive.

As per the police, the woman identified as Sankaragomathi and a man named Shankar had an affair and she got pregnant. The woman took two tablets in an attempt to abort the baby but in vain. She gave birth to the baby at around 2 am on Wednesday at her house, The Times of India reported.

The baby’s grandmother Indra wrapped the baby in pieces of cloth and took it to the theatre. Indra allegedly set the newborn ablaze. After the case came to light, Indra was booked under section 315 (act done with intent to prevent a child being born alive, or cause it to die after birth) and Shankar under section 109 (abetment of an offence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The 22-year-old woman was taken to a government hospital for treatment as she had been weak due to the delivery. The police said that the statement of the woman will be recorded after she recovers and further probe will be conducted accordingly.