A new born baby was found half-buried in a field, in a bid to kill it, at Gaddasanahalli village in Chintamani taluk of Chickballapur district on Thursday. But villagers saved the baby and it is now recuperating in the district hospital.
The owner of the land, Mattanna, who visited the field to feed water to mulberry plants, heard the cries of a baby and rushed to the spot only to see the inhuman condition in which it was lying.
He informed fellow villagers and they immediately took it to the government hospital at nearby Kurabur where it was given primary treatment.
On receiving information about the incident from the hospital authorities, the staff of Child Helpline, Health Department as well as District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) rushed to the spot and took the infant into their charge, Child Helpline director and Chickballapur District Child Welfare Committee member B.R. Balagangadhar told The Hindu .
It was taken from Kurabur hospital in an ambulance by DCPU official Ramesh and admitted to the district hospital at Chickballapur, he added.
The iaby was injured as crows had pecked it. “The infant would have died had the farmer not applied his mind,” Mr. Balagangadhar said.
It was suspected that a woman delivered the baby early in the morning, abandoned it and left the place. Authorities concerned with child rights and care have filed a complaint with the police.
The infant will be kept under observation in the Intensive Care Unit. Procedures will be followed to secure the baby into the custody of the department concerned and for its adoption in the case the parents were not traced, the CWC member said.
“The parents, mother or father, or both, if traced, will be subjected to punishment under section 317 of Indian Penal Code (IPC)” said Mr. Balagangadhar.
