Humanity abandoned in India: Newborn girl found dumped in drain

Mumbai: In a bizarre incident, a five-day-old baby girl was rescued from a drain where she was left to die in the Indian city of Mumbai. The infant is recovering in a local hospital.

Police in Mumbai were called in to rescue the child after residents were alerted by cats.  

Reportedly, residents found the baby after a group of cats gathered at a spot along the road and began creating a ruckus - hissing, and purring loudly. 

Police, however, have not speculated on possible motives, but similar abandonment in the past has been attributed in India, where (in some regions) women are often socially discriminated and girls are seen as a financial burden, especially among poor communities. 

"Doctors are constantly monitoring her health. We will keep her under observation for the next few days,” said hospital officials.

The baby girl was "doing fine" and her health was being monitored, said doctors.

In the meantime, officials are investigating how she ended up in the drain.

The incident, hence, created a stir on social media. A photo shot by the Mumbai police at the scene showed officers cradling the newborn - wrapped in a white cloth in their arms.

Pantnagar P.stn received a call from a good samaritan that a baby, wrapped in cloth, was dumped in a drain. He was alerted when the neighbourhood cats created a ruckus. the baby was rushed to Rajawadi by the Nirbhaya Squad of Pantnagar P.Stn & is now safe & recovering. pic.twitter.com/nEGSDCD6wz

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) November 15, 2021

In 2019, a newborn baby was discovered buried alive in a clay pot in Bareilly town in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

An infant was found abandoned inside a plastic bag without any clothes in Delhi in the winter of 2016.