Ludhiana: 2 couples go all out for toddler’s custody, but to no avail

High drama was witnessed as two couples went all out to get custody of a two-day-old infant who was found abandoned near the railway tracks between Dhandari Kalan and Sahnewal railway stations on Thursday

High drama was witnessed as two couples went all out to get custody of a two-day-old infant who was found abandoned near the railway tracks between Dhandari Kalan and Sahnewal railway stations on Thursday.

The infant is currently in custody of Child Help Line.

A woman from Uttar Pradesh found the child conscious and wrapped in a blue cloth from the bushes on the side of the tracks. She took the infant to her rented accommodation in Dhandari and handed her over to her relatives Arti (22) and her husband Krishna Ram (28), who live in the same house as her.

However, in a dramatic twist, Dr Raj (40), who runs a private clinic, and his wife Sitara (35), residents of Ishwar Colony, Dhandari, reached their house to take custody of the toddler, following which police were informed. The case was transferred to Government Railway Police, Dhandari, following which both couples reached the police station and got into a heated argument over the child’s custody.

Ram, who already has two sons and works as a labourer, said, “We found the girl, cleaned her and fed her and thus she should be handed over to us. My wife is inconsolable since the other family has approached us for adoption”.

Meanwhile, Dr Raj said that he wanted custody of the child for his friend who could not have a baby after many years of marriage.

After the dispute escalated, senior police officers of GRP including deputy superintendent of police Balram Rana and inspector Jaskaran Singh intervened. Both families were eventually denied custody by the GRP officers, citing legal adoption procedures. The railway police further informed the Child Help Line officials at the Ludhiana station, who took the girl in their custody.

Kulvir Singh of Child Help Line said the toddler has been admitted to a private hospital due to her poor health. “The newborn is currently under the observation of a senior paediatrician. Once she recovers, she will be shifted to a childrens’ home in Mullanpur,” he said.

Another Child Help Line official said it was an uphill task to console Arti and convince her to follow legal procedure for adoption. “Arti along with her husband reached the hospital and were not ready to leave the child with us. When we refused to hand over the child to her, she broke down but eventually left with her husband who also seemed disheartened,” the official said.