Mumbai: 5-year-old baby girl recovering in hospital after being rescued from drain

A five-day-old toddler is healing in a local hospital after being rescued from a drain in Mumbai where she was allegedly left to die, according to a report by the BBC. Speaking to the outlet, doctors at the Rajawadi hospital said that the baby girl is recovering well and her health is being continuously monitored. According to the Mumbai police, residents discovered the infant after a bunch of cats gathered beside the road and began hissing and purring loudly. They stated that officials are investigating the matter to find out how the infant ended up in the drain.

"Pantnagar P.stn received a call from a good samaritan that a baby, wrapped in cloth, was dumped in a drain. He was alerted when the neighbourhood cats created a ruckus. the baby was rushed to Rajawadi by the Nirbhaya Squad of Pantnagar P.Stn & is now safe & recovering [sic]," tweeted Mumbai Police. Although police have not speculated on possible motives, previous abandonments have been attributed to people's preference for sons in the country, reported the outlet. The report also stated that women in the country are often socially discriminated against, and daughters are viewed as a "financial burden," particularly in impoverished communities. 

A female-led police team rescued the baby

In the most recent incidence, the baby was rescued from a Mumbai suburb by a female-led police team on Sunday, November 14. When the cops arrived, they discovered the baby inside the drain. They claimed the baby was crying in pain and was clad in a thin shirt. She was then taken out from the drain, covered in a cloth and immediately rushed to the hospital. Meanwhile, Dr Vidya Thakur, the medical superintendent of the Rajawadi hospital, told BBC Marathi that the health of the infant is being closely monitored by a team of doctors and she will be kept under observation for the next few days.

It should be mentioned here that similar incidents involving infant girls have occurred in parts of the country in the past too. A couple of years back, a newborn baby was found buried alive in a clay pot in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district. In the winter of 2016, a toddler was discovered in Delhi, abandoned inside a plastic bag with no clothes. Meanwhile in June this year, a boatman from Uttar Pradesh was commended for rescuing a baby girl who had been spotted floating in a wooden box in the Ganges river, reported BBC. 

Image: Twitter/@Mumbai Police