Bengaluru police have cracked a disturbing case involving the abandonment of a 15-day-old baby girl in an autorickshaw. The child was left unattended on April 24 near the ATTC Quarters in Kengeri, under the Byatarayanapura police limits.
Local residents spotted the newborn inside the parked auto and immediately alerted authorities. Police, along with a Child Welfare Officer, responded quickly and rescued the baby. CCTV footage from the vicinity showed a man and a woman placing the infant in the auto and walking away.
Investigations revealed that the duo had fled Bengaluru on a state-run RTC bus to Madikeri. A police team tracked them to Virajpet, where both were taken into custody.
The man was identified as P. Appanna, a 43-year-old coffee estate owner from Karnataka. He is married and has three children. His companion, a 30-year-old widow with one child, was found to be his lover. The two were reportedly in an ongoing illicit relationship.
The abandoned infant, born with a cleft lip, was a result of their affair. During interrogation, the couple confessed to abandoning the baby due to their personal circumstances and fear of social backlash. Appanna was arrested and sent to jail, while the woman was admitted to a rehabilitation centre due to her struggles with alcoholism.
The baby girl was transferred to Vani Vilas Hospital and is now under the care of the Child Welfare Committee, receiving necessary medical attention.
