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NEW DELHI, Thursday (Reuters) A newborn Indian girl was rescued 15 hours after her father buried her alive because he already had two daughters and did not want a third, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

Police in Madhya Pradesh state said the baby, who was crying when she was found but appeared well, survived because of air pockets in between the stones used to bury her, The Hindustan Times reported.

The girl's mother went to police on Sunday after the hours-old girl was buried, but the baby was not rescued until the next day after unspecified "legalities" had been completed.

Many families abort female foetuses or kill girls at birth fearing huge dowry costs when they are married. Infant mortality among girls is up to 40 percent higher than boys in some areas.

Although the dowry system is outlawed in India, it remains common, often crippling already impoverished families.

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