Bengaluru 18 April

A 23-year-old man was arrested on Friday after BBMP workers found a newborn’s body at a garbage dump in Gandhinagar here. Yelahanka police found that the infant was born to a minor girl in a two-year secret relationship with the accused.

The baby reportedly died due to complications during an unassisted home delivery. To conceal the incident, the minor, under the accused’s instructions, wrapped the body in a blanket, placed it in a plastic bag, and gave it to an elderly neighbour, claiming it was trash. The neighbour, unaware of the contents, discarded the bag in the dump.

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) workers found the body of the infant around 8.30am on 2 April during a routine garbage collection and alerted the police. The infant was rushed to a government hospital, where doctors confirmed its death.

Police reviewed CCTV footage, identifying the elderly man on a bicycle disposing of the bag. His confession led to the minor girl, who revealed the sexual abuse and named Bharat, an auto driver, as the accused.

Further probe uncovered Bharath’s coercion in concealing the pregnancy and disposing of the infant. Police are investigating potential involvement of others, including neighbours who assisted with the disposal.

Bharath has been booked under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act and remanded to judicial custody. The minor has been sent to an observation home as the investigation continues.