Puttur: A member of the City Municipal Council allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself when he was alone at home in Uramalu near Salmara, on the outskirts of the town, on Thursday.

The deceased CMC member has been identified as Shivarama Saphalya (46).

The matter came to light when his wife asked the neighbors to check their house as Saphalya did not receive her calls.

The reason for the alleged suicide is yet to be ascertained and police are investigating the matter.

Saphalya is survived by his wife and two children.

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Alappuzha, (Kerala) (PTI): Four doctors in Kerala have been booked for allegedly failing to detect genetic disorders in a newborn while it was still in the mother's womb, the police said on Thursday.

The accused include two female doctors attached to the Kadappuram Government Women and Child Hospital in Alappuzha, along with two doctors from private diagnostic labs, according to the Alappuzha South police.

The police registered an FIR on Tuesday based on a complaint lodged by Anish and Surumi, a couple from Alappuzha.

They alleged that the doctors failed to detect or disclose the genetic abnormalities during prenatal scans, instead assuring them that the reports were normal.

The couple also claimed that they were shown the baby only four days after delivery, according to the complaint.

The FIR stated that Surumi, 35, was undergoing treatment for her third pregnancy at Kadappuram Women and Child Hospital.

On October 30, Surumi was admitted for delivery. However, she was referred to Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) in Vandanam, Alappuzha, citing the absence of fetal movement and heartbeat, the FIR said.

On November 8, the baby was delivered following surgery at MCH and was found to have severe internal and external deformities, the FIR stated.

Meanwhile, one of the accused doctors, responding to the allegations, said she had treated Surumi only during the initial months of her pregnancy.

"I provided care for three months at the beginning of her pregnancy. The reports shown to me indicated issues with the fetus's growth," she said.

The doctors associated with the diagnostic labs, however, maintained that there were no errors in the scan reports.

The police registered a case invoking Sections 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 125 (b) (where grievous hurt is caused, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or with both) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the accused.