Mumbai: A month after an abandoned infant was found near Marine Lines station, LT Marg police arrested her mother. According to police, the woman was forced to abandon her newborn after her boyfriend refused to marry her. Based on her revelation, an offence was lodged against her boyfriend and he too was arrested.
On January 30, a watchman at Bada Qabrastan in Marine Lines found a 4-day-old infant inside the cemetery, after returning from a break. He promptly called police, who then registered an offence under IPC section of exposure and abandonment of child under 12 years (317) and began an investigation.
During the probe, police checked CCTV footages of the area and nearby hospital registers for recent deliveries. They found a 22-year-old woman who had delivered a girl exactly four days ago. They went to the address mentioned in the register and learned a pregnant woman had stayed there for a while.
They obtained her address from the owner and reached her home in Bhandup. When police asked her about her baby, she could not give satisfactory answers and confessed to abandoning her daughter at Bada Qabrastan.
She was brought to police station and arrested. During her probe, the woman revealed she had been in a relationship with her neighbour. However, after learning about her pregnancy, the man refused to marry her citing health reasons and left her with no option.
The woman claimed she had been menstruating and did not realise she was pregnant. Five months on, suspecting something was amiss, she went to the doctor and learnt to her shock she was six-month pregnant.
She then rented a flat and delivered a baby girl at Nair hospital in Jan-end. After being discharged, she abandoned the baby at Bada Qabrastan.
After the woman’s revelation, police filed a case against her 23-year-old neighbour (name withheld) and transferred it to Meghwadi. The man was arrested withing hours.
“The woman is in our custody. Her child is still in Nair hospital and is healthy. The child welfare committee will decide his future,” said a cop.
