Gujarat: Home Minister oversees operation to trace guardians of abandoned child

Gandhinagar Police were able to trace the car in which the abandoned child was brought to the temple within 24 hours. The photo of the child is being published on ETV BHARAT as it can be helpful in the investigation to find the guardians of the toddler.

Gujarat: An abandoned child put entire state machinery on its toes on Friday night. Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi oversaw search operations to trace the guardians of the baby boy.

A 7 to 8 month-old baby was abandoned near the gate of Swaminarayan temple at Pethapur in the state capital Gandhinagar on Friday night. Police had launched an manhunt across the state to trace the guardians of the toddler. The incident raised eyebrows of citizens as to how one could abandon such an innocent child.

The photo of this boy has been published on ETV BHARAT as it can be helpful in police investigation in tracing the guardians. However, the Police managed to trace the car in which the child was brought to the temple within 24 hours.

According to information recorded in a CCTV in Pethapur, a stranger was seen approaching the gate of Gaushala at Swaminarayan temple late at night and leaving the child near the gates. A worker heard the child crying and informed the Gaushala authorities who in turn alerted the police. Police have launched a search operation to find the parents of the destitute child.

Gandhinagar police are trying hard to find the child's guardians. Police have collected about 40 CCTVs footages, while 8 teams have been formed. Police have also been sent to the villages with photos of the child in civil dress. Ahmedabad Medical Association has alerted the medical fraternity to give any information of the child like if any doctor had examined the kid earlier and share some information.

One team of police has been deployed to deliver child information to the police control rooms of all the states. Gandhinagar SOG, LCB and Ahmedabad Crime Branch have now joined hands with the local police and also deployed technical teams and informers to fasten the investigation.

Meanwhile, state Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi himself visited the Gandhinagar Civil Hospital to see the abandoned child which was under pediatric care.

"A search operation was launched to trace the whereabouts of the guardians of the abandoned child, the baby is healthy. Initially, a small team was investigating the case, but now, considering the age of the child it has been expanded. The Chief Minister also enquired about the kid and gave instructions to fasten the search. The police and the doctor's are calling the child as Smit (meaning Smile) and making all efforts to bring back the smile on the face of the baby boy by finding its guardians," said the minister after visiting the child.

"The child is healthy and is under pediatric care after the police brought the baby here, it has been examined and no injury was found in its body. It has also undergone a medical check-up," said Dr Ekta Dalal Head of Pediatric Dept of Gandhinagar Civil Hospital. Jagruti Pandya, chairman of the Children's Commission, said that "if the parents of the child are not found by tomorrow, i.e. On Sunday, the child will be sent to Odhav Orphanage."