Authorities moved quickly after a 2-day-old girl was discovered abandoned in a basket outside a girls orphanage in the Takka neighborhood of Panvel early on Friday morning. The discovery shocked the community. Although the newborn who was abandoned on the sidewalk with a bottle, a sachet of milk powder and a handwritten note is now safe and receiving medical attention the circumstances surrounding her departure have left the residents feeling both sad and angry.

Parents Leave Heartfelt Note

The English-language note which was left next to the infant seems to have been written by her parents. It begs for pity and justifies their inability to raise the child by pointing to mental and financial difficulties.

Locals Respond to Infant’s Cries

Around 6:30 am locals who lived close to the orphanage heard the baby for the first time drawn by the sound of gentle cries coming from the street.

Local resident Renu remarked At first we thought it was a kitten or puppy crying. However we were astounded when we took a closer look. It was a newborn shivering covered in a blanket and obviously hungry. I hurried her to a nearby hospital after giving her warm milk.

Immediate Police and Medical Response

According to Abhijit Bavar, a civic sanitation worker on duty nearby, he went to look into the small group of people gathered. I called the police right away when I realized it was an abandoned baby, he said. Renu and I rode in an autorickshaw to take her to Siddhi Clinic. She was stable but needed more care according to the doctors.

The child was taken to the Panvel sub-district hospital for a comprehensive medical examination by the Panvel city police who arrived shortly after. According to medical professionals the baby is in stable condition but because of her age and the cold she was exposed to she is still being closely monitored.

Emotional Plea Adds Human Dimension

The case gained a tragic and profoundly human dimension with the discovery of the note. According to police officials the brief message written in shaky handwriting was an emotional plea for assistance from the parents who explained that they were unable to care for their child.

Legal Action and Investigation Underway

Under the appropriate provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) the police have filed a case. Nitin Thakare, a senior police inspector, stated that attempts are being made to determine the child’s biological parents.

We are talking to residents who may have witnessed someone leaving the basket and reviewing CCTV footage from surrounding buildings Thakare stated. Not only is it against the law to leave a child in such circumstances but it is also very risky.

Political and Social Reactions

Local MLA Prashant Thakur who visited the hospital later that day is among the leaders who expressed their concern and strong public response to the incident. He said This is a gut-wrenching incident with sadness. It is even more tragic if the child was abandoned due to her gender. We must consider as a society the hopelessness and lack of assistance that might lead someone to make such a choice.

To make sure she gets the attention and assistance she needs he continued I will personally coordinate with child welfare officials and NGOs. We will make every effort whether it be for institutional protection or financial aid.

Baby Moved for Further Care

According to confirmation from child welfare officials the infant will be moved to a pediatric facility in Alibaug for additional assessment. It’s likely that the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) will take custody of her and evaluate her options for long-term rehabilitation such as adoption or foster care.

Have You Requested that Parents Return the Abandoned Child?

Police have tracked down the parents of a two-day-old girl who was discovered abandoned at Takka in Panvel on Saturday morning and have located them in Bhiwandi within 24 hours. According to the police the father and mother come from wealthy families and left the child behind because their relatives were unaware of their marriage the previous year. The child is currently in the custody of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and police officers familiar with the case have asked the couple to return the child.

On the sidewalk outside the Swapnalay girls orphanage at Moraj Residency in Takka colony the infant was found on Saturday at 6:30 a. m. Her parents were leaving her because of their mental and financial predicament according to a handwritten note in English that was discovered in the basket she was discovered in.

MLA Reassures Action for Baby’s Safety

Prashant Thakur the Panvel MLA stated on Saturday that all necessary measures would be taken to guarantee the child’s safety and secure her future after the discovery caused widespread concern.

CCTV Footage Leads to Key Breakthrough

According to police, footage from a CCTV camera placed across the street from the orphanage was discovered by unit central unit-II of the Panvel crime branch during an investigation. It showed a woman wearing a burqa leaving the infant there early on Saturday morning.

At 2:42 in the morning the video captured a woman wearing a burqa getting out of a car carrying a basket. After placing the basket with the infant close to the orphanage the woman crossed the street and returned to the vehicle. By 2:44 in the morning the car departed the scene as another car drove by according to a police officer who asked to remain anonymous.

Parents Identified and Questioned

According to Ajay Landge the assistant commissioner of police (crime) the baby’s parents were located using technical leads and CCTV footage of the vehicle.

The father is twenty-four years old and the mother is twenty-three. Both hail from wealthy families, have formal education and reside in Bhiwandi, Landge said.

According to Panvel City Police Station senior police inspector Nitin Thakare they questioned both parents on Sunday.

Since their families were unaware of their covert marriage last year the couple claimed they were unable to keep the child. After following the proper procedures we have issued a warning and requested that they return the child, Thakare stated.