Jharkhand parents who abandoned baby girl in Kochi, ‘wants their child back’; reveals reason

KOCHI: The Jharkhand parents who abandoned their baby girl at a hospital in Kochi said that they left the baby due to financial difficulties and fear of the child’s survival. Mangaleswar, the father of the child, told the police that "She is a treasure for us. We left her in tears because we could not afford the hospital expenses and were worried about her survival."

The couple was found after Jharkhand representatives attending the All India Police Badminton Tournament in Kochi communicated with Kerala police. The North Police, investigating the case, contacted the couple in Lohardaga near Ranchi, Jharkhand.

Ranjitha, Mangaleswar’s wife, gave birth to a 28-week-old baby at Ernakulam General Hospital on January 29. Due to health problems, the baby was moved to a private hospital in Ernakulam. The couple paid an initial bill of Rs 23,000 that day. When asked to pay an additional two lakhs, they left the state with Ranjitha. Mangaleswar said that he wanted to see the baby through a video call. Later, he told the police that he intended to take his daughter home. The police are preparing to visit Jharkhand.

Mangaleswar and his wife, who work at a fish farm in Kottayam, were unaware that a case had been filed against them for abandoning the baby. The investigation is being led by SI P.P. Reji. The baby, who weighed only 950 grams at birth, now weighs three kilos. On April 11, the baby was handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Minister Veena George named the baby Nidhi at the request of the General Hospital Superintendent Dr. Shaheer Shah. The CWC said it would allow the parents to see the baby through video calls if the police officially request it. The Jharkhand CWC will investigate the parents’ living conditions and decide on the baby’s handover.