Angamaly: A woman who fled on a bus after abandoning her newborn near a drain was caught by police here in Ernakulam district on Saturday afternoon. The baby was recovered hours ago from Chullimada locality of Pettakkad in Palakkad district, further north.
A fruit vendor who was passing by the dry drain heard the cries of a newborn. He looked around and spotted the baby. Subsequently, he called the local residents and informed the police about the incident.
A police team, which arrived from the Walayar police station, carried out a preliminary check and found that the baby was delivered only a few hours ago.
During the preliminary inquiry it was found that the baby's mother had arrived in a bus coming from outside the state. The vehicle was stopped by excise officials at Pettikkad and inspected. People noticed that during inspection a woman alighted from the vehicle and walked away.
While leaving the bus she told fellow passengers that she wanted to vomit. Later interrogation revealed she had delivered soon, abandoned the baby, returned and sat in the bus. It was only after the vehicle was intercepted by police at Angamaly and questioned her that the co-passengers came to know that she was pregnant and had just delivered.
The medical examination conducted both on the woman and newborn revealed that she had given birth a couple of hours ago. The infant was given first aid at the Kanjikode Primary Health Centre before being taken to the Palakkad district hospital where it is under the care of healthcare workers.
The baby's mother too was taken to the Palakkad district hospital.
The woman, who had earlier worked in Alwaye, was accompanied by a young relative. When she informed that another relative was staying in Alwaye, the police got in touch with him and summoned him to the police station.
The intercepted bus was on its way to Kothamangalam.
