In a deeply disturbing case of child abandonment, a 15-day-old infant was discovered in a forest in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district on Tuesday. According to police, the baby was found with his mouth sealed shut, allegedly to silence his cries.
The infant was spotted writhing in pain near a pile of stones, with a stone forcibly stuffed into his mouth and held in place using adhesive. Police officials said the shocking condition in which the child was found pointed to a deliberate attempt to prevent him from being heard.
The discovery was made by a cattle grazer near the Sita Ka Kund temple in Mandalgarh. Alarmed by the sight, he quickly alerted locals, who rushed to rescue the child. After carefully removing the stone, they rushed the baby to a government hospital in Bijolia.
Doctors later confirmed that the newborn, believed to be between 15 and 20 days old, had adhesive marks not just on his mouth but also on his thighs. He is currently receiving medical treatment and remains under observation.
A Pattern of Abandonments
Sadly, this is not an isolated case. Across India, reports of infants being abandoned continue to surface, exposing a grim reality.
- Chandigarh (September 4): A five-month-old girl was found lying in bushes in the city’s Industrial Area Phase 2. She was discovered by a taxi driver from Mohali, who heard her cries in the early morning hours and immediately took her to the police station.
- Jharkhand (September 4): On the same day, another infant was found dumped in a drain in Jamtara district’s Mijiham area. The baby, who suffered fractured hands, was rescued by locals and later declared stable by doctors.
- Maharashtra (June): In Panvel’s Takka area, a two-day-old infant was left outside a girls’ orphanage in a basket. Alongside the baby were a feeding bottle, a sachet of milk powder, and a heartbreaking handwritten note from the parents, citing “mental and financial hardships” as the reason for abandoning their child. Authorities later instructed the couple to take the baby back.
These repeated incidents raise troubling questions: What drives parents or guardians to such extremes? And how can society ensure that vulnerable infants are protected from such fates?
For now, the rescued newborn in Rajasthan is receiving the care he desperately needs. But the larger issue, of abandoned children left to chance, remains a haunting concern.
