Ranchi: An LLB student, who along with his classmate was on his way to attend a summer internship programme of Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (Jhalsa) here on Saturday morning, played Good Samaritan on spotting women safai workers with an abandoned newborn girl near JMM patriarch Shibu Soren’s Morabadi residence.
Gaurav Poddar, 27, and a 4th semester student at Chhotanagpur Law College, immediately informed police station and district child welfare committee and rushed the infant to nearby Rani Children Hospital (at Booty Road). There, the three-day-old girl was diagnosed with jaundice and pneumonia and put under treatment.
The Kanke youth said he was heading towards Judge Colony at Kanke Road on a bike along with classmate Aradhna Singh of Karamtoli. “The moment I went towards Morabadi from Booty Road, I saw safai workers with a baby frenetically searching for parents. Out of curiosity, I stopped. Then, I realised the baby was in distress. Though my classmate and I were getting late for our internship, we decided to do our duty as citizens first,” he said.
Gaurav called his other classmates Kiran, Gyanranjan, Sukomal and Shreya Sharma who left summer training classes midway and rushed to help.
Gaurav said that the infant, with ant bite marks on her tiny body, was wearing a red vest was wrapped in a blanket when she was spotted by safai workers cleaning the VIP stretch.
Officials of NGO related to childcare and adoption Karuna NMO at Bariatu arrived at Ranchi Children Hospital was informed. “The baby will remain in our legal custody and we will arrange her treatment. Doctors have said that it may take around 10 days for her to become healthy. We are waiting for further instructions of Ranchi child welfare committee. Those who rescued the baby and took her to hospital deserve praise,” said adoption in-charge of Karuna, Sangita Sahay.
Ranchi child welfare committee member Shrikant Kumar visited the hospital too
“She is barely three days old. Necessary paperwork is being done and the baby will be produced before the welfare committee board. Currently, she is under care of NGO Karuna NMO which is among the two authorised child adoption centres in Ranchi. We will start her adoption process and willing parents can apply online on our website. But, her health and care are our prime responsibility,” he said.
Good Samaritan Gaurav thanked his parents, businessman father Ashok Poddar and homemaker mother Rekha, for instilling in him the right values, and his friends for help. He however said the 1098 national child helpline number, which he rang first of all around 9am, did not work.
(Telegraphindia)