2 mothers held for abandoning their newborns

Two women who abandoned their newborn babies were arrested by Sion and Sir JJ Marg police officials on Monday. In the first incident, accused Shifa Khan, 27, was arrested by Sion police for abandoning her baby outside a housing society in Sion on Friday.

Occupants of the building had alerted the police after they found the newborn baby, following which Sion police had started an investigation. The police went through hospital records and zeroed in on Khan who had delivered the baby girl four days before she abandoned her. Khan was arrested from her residence in Dharavi following which she admitted to have abandoned her baby. Khan, who stays with her mother, is mother to two kids and claimed that she could not bear the expenses of another child, said Sion police officials.

In the second incident, Sir JJ Marg police officials arrested Chandra Begam Shaikh, 29, for abandoning her child. A rag picker had found a 4-5 months old boy abandoned at Don Taki area on Monday. The ragpicker informed Sir JJ Marg police officials about it.

Sir JJ Marg police

In the first incident, the mother was unable to beat the expenses of the child as she already has two children. In the second incident, there were frequent quarrels between husband and wife because of the kid

cials enquired in the surrounding area and identified Shaikh. She was later arrested from Belapur in Navi Mumbai. “Amidst the worsening pandemic situation our superiors have instructed us to make arrest only if necessary and since the offence was bailable the woman was released on bail after she produced a guarantor," said Subhash Borate, senior inspector of Sir JJ Marg police station.

According to the police, Shaikh was unable to feed her son due to some medical issues and there used to be frequent quarrels with her husband due to the child.

Both the infants are now in the custody of the Child Welfare Committee.