Mumbai opens its heart and purse for 2-day-old abandoned girl

Mumbai, the city of dreams, truly also has a heart of gold. Hours after a two-day-old infant girl was found abandoned in a plastic bag near Hazrat Abbas Lane in Dongri, support started pouring in from all quarters. The incident came to light after some locals heard the muffled cries of a baby coming from a narrow ally between two buildings on Wednesday around 9.30 pm. On close inspection, the locals found an infant wriggling her hands and feet inside a plastic bag.

The shocked residents immediately called a local politician, who in turn informed the Dongri police. While the police took the newborn in their custody, news of an abandoned baby spread like wildfire in the locality.

Afzal Dawoodani, vice-president of the BJP’s state transport union, who lives in Dongri, said that he rushed to the spot immediately. “I asked my boys to bring the baby to my office and informed the Dongri police. After taking down details, the cops took the baby away but my supporters had already posted pictures of the baby on my Facebook page,” he said.

The FB post went viral and Mr Dawoodani has been inundated with calls from people across the city, who are willing to take care of the infant and even adopt her.

Several people from the locality, including Syed Iqbal, a tailor; Shoeb Shaikh, a social activist and Mumtaz Noorani, a homemaker among others called Dawoodani, asking if they could take care of the baby till the police trace her parents. “The photograph of the baby girl brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to make her feel secure in my house. I have children of my own and would like to take care of the infant too,” said Ms Nargis Bhimani, a homemaker from Dongri.

When contacted, senior police inspector of Dongri police station Nitin Bangarle said that they too had been receiving calls from people who are willing to take care of the infant. “We have moved her to J.J. Hospital. Currently, she is in the paediatric ward there. We will transfer her to the children home later,” he said. The police has registered a case of ‘exposure and abandonment of child under 12 years by parent or person having care of it’ against unknown persons. They also took sniffer dogs to the spot where the baby girl was found. “Investigations are on and we hope to track down the parents soon,” said Mr Bangarle.