A newborn baby girl was buried alive by her mother, allegedly in an attempt to conceal the result of an illicit relationship.

However, the infant, who remained buried for nearly two hours, was rescued by the police.

23-year-old Samim Bano, who separated from her husband two and a half years ago, delivered the baby at a hospital in Sikar on July 12, said police sources.

Reluctant to let anyone know that she had borne an illegitimate child, she decided to bury the infant alive, with the help of her brother.

However, the duo were spotted by a man as they were burying the baby in a lane behind a garden. Suspecting some foul play, he reported it to the local police, who rushed to the spot immediately.

Noticing some movement below the lose soil, the investigating officer dug up the area and found the baby, who was still alive despite having been buried for almost two hours. The infant was rushed to a hospital and her condition was said to be normal.

Bano and her brother Sajjauddin Ahmad have been arrested for attempt to murder. The duo claimed that they buried the baby as they thought it had been stillborn.

Bano has two other children from her ex-husband Lal Khan, who live with their father in Bikaner.