Baby girl with cleft lip abandoned in Bengaluru auto-rickshaw, father arrested in Kodagu: Report

A 43-year-old coffee planter from Karnataka has been arrested for abandoning his two-week-old daughter in an auto-rickshaw in Bengaluru.

A 43-year-old coffee planter from Karnataka’s Kodagu district has been arrested for allegedly abandoning his two-week-old daughter in an auto-rickshaw at Bengaluru’s Kengeri Satellite Bus Stand last month, Indian Express reported.

Police said the infant’s health is being closely monitored.

The accused, identified as P Appanna, a resident of Virajpet, was traced by Bengaluru police after CCTV footage captured him and his partner leaving the baby inside the vehicle during the early hours of April 24. The infant, born prematurely with a cleft lip, had been wrapped in cloth and left unattended in the backseat.

Rajasekhar Rao, a local resident, discovered the baby crying inside the parked auto around 5.50 am and immediately alerted the authorities. The infant was rushed to Vani Vilas Hospital, where she continues to receive medical care. Police say the baby is now under the care of the Child Welfare Commission.

Investigators later found that the newborn had been delivered at the same hospital just days earlier. By matching hospital records with the CCTV footage, officers were able to identify and arrest Appanna, who owns a 10-acre coffee estate and farmhouse in Virajpet.

According to police, Appanna and his partner, both reportedly estranged from their previous spouses, had travelled to Bengaluru with the intention of giving up the baby. Officers said the woman expressed reluctance to care for the infant due to her cleft lip and cited her inability to breastfeed.

Following the incident, the couple returned to Virajpet, where Appanna was taken into custody. The woman, who is reportedly struggling with alcohol addiction, has been admitted to a rehabilitation centre.

Police said the infant’s health is being closely monitored and her case has been forwarded to child welfare authorities for further care.