A man, upset over his daughter’s birth, abducted and abandoned her in a drain in Delhi. The one-month-old was rescued and is recovering; he has been arrested. 

Unhappy over the birth of a girl child, a 20-year-old man allegedly abducted and abandoned his one-month-old daughter in a drain in outer Delhi’s Rohini area, police said on Tuesday, adding that the accused was arrested. The infant was rescued alive around three hours later and is undergoing medical treatment.

According to police, the incident came to light on May 17 when the control room at Budh Vihar police station received a call regarding the kidnapping of an infant girl. A police team was immediately despatched to the complainant’s residence.

“The infant’s mother told police that her husband, identified as Sajjan Kumar, had taken away their daughter around 4am,” deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) Shashank Jaiswal said.

During preliminary inquiry, the woman told police that her husband was upset over the birth of a girl child. Police registered an FIR under relevant sections and launched a search operation.

Investigators used technical surveillance and local intelligence inputs to trace the accused, who was apprehended around 6am on May 17.

During interrogation, Kumar allegedly disclosed that he had abandoned the infant near a drain adjoining Pal Colony Park in Rithala, police officers said.

Police teams immediately rushed to the spot and carried out an intensive search operation in the area. “He claimed that he had left the child near the drain, but she was found crying inside it around 6.30am. Three policemen entered the drain and rescued the baby girl,” the officer said.

The child was immediately shifted to Dr BSA Hospital for treatment and observation. “She is still under treatment and is expected to recover,” the officer said, adding that the baby was later safely reunited with her mother.

Police said the accused, a resident of Rohini, was arrested and further investigation is underway.