A five-month-old abandoned foetus has been found in the women's washroom of a hospital in Delhi, police said on July 30.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma said the matter was reported from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on July 29 afternoon. "An unknown lady left it in the washroom. Whether she aborted her pregnancy or delivered a premature baby without informing anyone -- is not known as yet. We will inquire into it."

The police are searching for the woman to find out under what circumstances she did so. A case has been registered under Section 318 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that deals with concealment of birth. In a similar incident last week a foetus, believed to be around six months old, was recovered from a lavatory of an AirAsia plane after it landed here from Guwahati.