Cop gives abandoned baby girl a new life

BENGALURU: She was just a day old, abandoned on the footpath and on the brink of death. Thanks to the efforts of a sensitive police inspector, the abandoned baby girl not only got a new lease of life but is set to get a home too.

On August 28, a man found the infant girl near Armugam Circle and informed police.  The baby’s umbilical cord had been clipped off, and she had not been fed or washed since birth. Inspector S D Shashidhar, who is attached to the Basavanagudi police station, took up the responsibility of the baby.
Shashidhar first admitted her to a hospital, telling the staff to begin treatment. “I had Rs 20,000 that day and I gave that,” he said. He deputed police staff at the hospital, and also visited her. The baby had severe respiratory distress and infection due to the clipped cord.

To raise funds for the baby’s treatment, an online crowd-funding campaign was begun by the hospital. The baby fully recovered, was discharged and sent to the state child home. Shashidhar said, “I would have loved to adopt the baby but as I already have children, the adoption process does not allow me to do so. I got nearly 70 calls from people wanting to do so.” The baby is set to be formally adopted in a few days.