An infant born to a 15-year-old rape survivor at the civil hospital in Sector 10 has been shifted to an orphanage in Faridabad following a suspected trafficking attempt, officials of the Gurugram Child Welfare Committee said on Tuesday.
Officials said the decision was taken after the newborn boy was found abandoned at a private hospital near Basai chowk in Sector 9 on December 26, without any admission entry, paperwork or attendant. The infant had earlier been admitted at the civil hospital for treatment of jaundice.
After noticing the unattended child, the owner of the private hospital, Dr Shyam Singh, alerted the police, following which the infant was shifted back to the civil hospital for treatment, officials said.
According to police, the minor victim, a Class VII student residing in the Kadipur area of Sector-\ 10, was raped by her 34-year-old former neighbour. She delivered the baby boy at the civil hospital on December 16, when the incident came to light. An FIR was subsequently registered at Sector-10 police station and the accused was arrested.
CWC officials said that after doctors at the civil hospital declared the infant medically fit, he was shifted to an orphanage in Faridabad on Monday evening. The orphanage authorities later informed the committee that the child was doing well.
Inspector Sunil Kumar, station house officer of Sector 9A police station, said an inquiry was underway based on the complaint submitted by the private hospital owner. “Role of an Asha worker of Devi Lal colony in Sector 9 was under scanner. The victim’s parents handed over the infant to her after getting him discharged from the civil hospital,” he said.
“Though no financial transactions have come to light, they were gathering details about the bank transactions of the Asha worker and her call detail records to figure out if she was helping the family or had planned to sell the infant to any childless couple,” he added.
Usha Rani, chairman of the Gurugram CWC, said a surrender deed was executed by the victim’s family before the infant was shifted. “The victim’s father has been repeatedly changing his statement on keeping the infant. Earlier, he had told us that the family wants to surrender the infant for being put up for adoption after the minor delivered the boy. However, he later got the baby discharged from the civil hospital after which he was found at the private hospital unattended,” she said.
Rani said it was still unclear how the infant was moved to the private hospital and what the motive was. “The civil hospital report expected to come on Monday was still pending. I have sent a reminder to the hospital authorities again for submitting the report after which things will become clear and further necessary action will be taken in case if found that there was any trafficking attempt made by misguiding the family,” she added.