Accused confesses to crime, says abandoned child since she was suffering from illness since birth
MARGAO
In a chilling incident that has sent shockwaves, a one-and-half-month-old baby girl was abandoned by her mother at Borda early Wednesday morning at a waste dump at the backyard of a residential colony.
Fortunately, the infant, who was wrapped in a plastic bag and was dumped amidst litter and waste for hours, escaped unhurt. The baby girl is under observation at the South Goa district hospital. The infant was rescued by local residents after they heard her cries, before members of the Goa Police Pink Force came and took her custody.
The Fatorda police team headed by PI Nethan Almeida later arrested the mother for abandoning the child and endangering her life. She has been also booked under the provisions of the Goa Children’s Act. The husband-wife duo hail from Changad-Maharashtra and were staying in a rented premise.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Margao, DySP Salim Sheikh informed that the mother has confessed to the crime, saying she decided to abandon the pre-mature born child on the plea that the infant was suffering from some illness since birth. In fact, district police chief, SP Sunita Sawant informed that the mother decided to do away with her child since the later used to frequently cry, disturbing her schedule.
Incidentally, the father of the infant had informed the police after her daughter went missing from the house when he got up in the morning. DySP Salim Sheikh informed that the infant’s father was awake till 5 am on Wednesday and went to sleep after her daughter fell asleep. “When he got up in the morning, the wife told him that the child is missing from the house,” DySP Sheikh said, adding ‘the mother of the child was initially evasive in her replies, but later confessed to having abandoned the child’.
Locals told the media that the infant was found abandoned in the backyard of another building and they rushed to the rescue after hearing her cries. “When we rushed to the site, we found the baby abandoned at the spot in a plastic bag. Fortunately, the girl escaped unhurt as the place is frequented by stray dogs and where waste is often disposed of,” informed a local woman.
To a question, SP Sunita Sawant said the Children Welfare Board will take an appropriate call on the future custody of the child as and when the baby girl is discharge from the hospital. “Since the infant was abandoned by the mother, the Children’s Welfare Board will take a call on the child’s custody,” she added.
