Mumbai: Single mother accused of neglect of infant, drug abuse

The mother and The baby

A 27-year-old single mother, residing with her three-week-old baby boy in a flat in Naigaon, is accused of not taking proper care of her toddler. Despite being well-educated and having studied abroad in the Gulf country and London, she has been accused of being a drug addict who, most of the time, remains under the influence of drugs.

A volunteer of a social activist has been told that the "woman was also seen carrying her toddler recklessly in a polythene bag in Naigaon area in this sizzling atmosphere."

The matter came to light after yesteryear actress Salma Aagha approached Yogita Bhayana, who is the founder of People Against Rape in India (PARI) and a TedX speaker, to intervene in the sensitive matter and rescue the toddler. Bhayana quickly approached the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo in Delhi on April 1.

After receiving a cold response from the NCPCR, Bhayana wrote another letter to them on April 23 to Kanoongo, after which the commission swung into action and wrote a letter on April 26 to the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police regarding the rescue, safety, and well-being of the infant.

The women cops at the flat in Naigaon; (right) Yogita Bhayana, Delhi-based social activist

The NCPCR has asked the MBVV police to submit the action taken report (ATR) along with documents within two days of receiving the letter from the commission.

"Salma Aagha informed me that the child urgently needs care and rescue because his mother is unable to look after him. She also mentioned that the mother consumes a suspicious white powder, which she noticed on the child's face during these instances," Bhayana explained to mid-day.

When contacted, Salma Aagha said, "She is a drug addict. I am trying to get the child rescued. The child should go to some orphanage. We have approached the NCPCR, but they are going a little slow in this case."

"I am planning to conduct a press conference in the next few days where I will discuss the issue in detail," she added.

The Naigaon-based flat belongs to her father, who lives in Oman. mid-day spoke to her father, who said, "She is my younger daughter and a bright child and an artist but got into a bad company. I am staying all alone here as my wife passed away in August 2022. My elder daughter lives in Qatar."

"My younger daughter has been staying in Mumbai for the last six years. She had been studying at Pearl Academy in Andheri and got into a bad company in Vasai. And that's how the problem started," the father added.

"She is a very good pianist, violist, and guitarist as she studied at the Royal School of Music in London," said the father, who added, "I don't know who the father of this child is, but I have been sending money every month to her so that the child can be properly taken care of. She has told me that she has given up drugs after giving birth to this child, but I am not sure of this as I have been staying in a different country."

Her father informed mid-day that she was kept at a rehabilitation centre for a few months, "but after staying for three-four months at the rehabilitation center, she would tell us that she is okay and would come out," he added.

When asked if she was ever arrested in connection with the consumption or possession of drugs by the police, her father said, "I have no idea as she would speak more to her mother, who is no more now."

What happened on April 4?

The single mother left her Naigaon home in the morning, leaving her toddler alone inside. After consulting the police and flat owner concerned residents heard the infant's cries and acted swiftly. "We were completely surprised to see that the child was all alone and had been crying," said Vinayak Chavan, the housing society's secretary. They cared for the baby and took him to a nearby hospital. Despite their efforts, the mother arrived later and caused a disturbance, ignoring medical advice.

"We checked the society's CCTV footage and learned that she left the house around 7.30 am. We intervened to rescue the infant in the afternoon. But around 10:30 pm, the infant's mother entered the hospital and created a ruckus there," Chavan told mid-day.

Ashish Vartak, a local social activist, said, "The cops were present when the woman created a ruckus at the hospital. This is very surprising as the society residents rescued the child, rushed the toddler to the hospital after nursing and feeding the baby, but his own mother took him away to home at a time when he needed medical attention."

Mother speaks

When contacted, the woman stated that she had submitted a written complaint at Manikpur police station, asserting that the allegations against her were baseless. "In the given statement provided by Salma Aagha and Yogita, it was mentioned that my family abandoned me and accused me of being associated with drugs. I proved this absolutely false as the inspectors in charge spoke to my respectful father, who has been supporting me financially and emotionally since I became aware of my pregnancy. Hence, stating that the allegations made against me have ulterior motives in defamation and other intentions," reads the letter.

The senior inspector of Manikpur police station, Raju Mane, said, "We have roped in the Child Welfare Committee officials from Palghar district to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. We are waiting for the reports of CWC to decide our further course of action in this sensitive matter."When asked if any FIR is registered against the woman, Mane said, "We could not find anything as such against the woman."

"Regarding the April 4 incident, the mother of the child told us that she had to go to the hospital in Andheri to get the birth certificate of her infant. She told us that she could not carry her baby along as there was a rush on the local train, and it could have been difficult for both of them to travel in a packed local train. So, she left the child alone at home," Mane added.

Apr 4
Day when the mother left the child in the house