Chennai: 20 people line up to adopt rescued baby

CHENNAI: At least 20 people queued up at the Tambaram RPF office on Friday and Saturday seeking to adopt the three-month-old boy, who was found abandoned on an EMU train on Friday. The child, who is presently in the pediatric ward at the government hospital in Chengalpet, is stable, police said, quoting doctors.

Passengers in the first-class compartment of the train, plying between Chennai Beach and Tambaram, spotted the newborn crying with no one there to attend to him.

After they informed the RPF police in Tambaram railway station, RPF constable Priyanka Yadav, who was on sentry duty, rescued the child and brought it to the police station.

An RPF team made an announcement on the public addressing (PA) system about the rescue. “We waited for about an hour. As there was no response, we informed Childline volunteers,” said RPF inspector P Muthupandi. Paramedical staff attached to Deepam Hospital in Tambaram attended to the child and nurse confirmed that the child was healthy. RPF police handed him over to Childline volunteers around 3pm. The child was later taken to the GH in Chengalpet.

Soon after the announcement on the PA system, news of the child spread like wildfire. “At least 20 people visited the RPF station saying they were willing to raise the boy. As we had handed the child over to helpline volunteers, we directed them to approach the Childline to adopt the baby as per procedure,” said Muthupandi.