The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court has taken suo motu notice of dangerous childbirth conditions for pregnant women in Maharashtra’s hilly regions. On December 8, a Division Bench of Justice Vibha Kankanwadi and Justice Hiten S. Venegavkar acted on a report from Daily Divya Marathi. The report showed women in remote hilly areas often deliver babies at home without any medical help. They use risky methods such as cutting umbilical cords with bamboo sticks or shaving blades. Sometimes, women are given liquor to reduce delivery pain. A 40-year-old woman said she cut her baby's umbilical cord herself using a blade during her eighth pregnancy. Despite the Maharashtra government spending ₹771 crore in the last 18 months on schemes to reduce maternal and infant deaths, healthcare remains unreachable in these tribal areas. The court expressed shock, saying, “If the Government is spending so much of amount on the schemes and the schemes are not reaching at every corner and to every citizen, then it cannot be stated that there is a success of such scheme.” Government Pleader A.B. Girase admitted similar issues exist in Nandurbar and Kinwat areas and promised to collect data and instructions. The bench stressed the government’s duty to provide good healthcare to every citizen, especially women and children. They pointed out that absence of ASHA workers and officials in tribal areas shows systemic failure. The court has taken this as a Suo Motu Public Interest Litigation and ordered the government to submit data and affidavits by December 19, 2025. Advocate Geeta Deshpande was appointed as Amicus Curiae to assist and prepare a petition after reviewing submissions. The next hearing is scheduled for December 19.