Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Aug 7: The boy, Lingaraju (3), who was found orphaned at Shimoga bus stand sometime back and was entrusted to the care of Spoorthi Dhama, Koteshwar in the district, was about to be thrown into a well by his own mother.
This shocking information was discovered by the above orphanage recently. The mother of the boy, Kasturi, tossed her seven-month-old daughter into a well. She had also taken the boy with her for killing, but at the last minute somehow the boy strayed away and she could not find him. Kasturi also jumped into the well, but was rescued by some passersby.
The parents of the boy have been identified as Basappa and Kasturi from Badami taluk in Bagalkot district. Kasturi was fed up by the neverending quarrels with her husband and had decided to throw her children into the well and then commit suicide. However, destiny had something else in store for her and her little son.
Lingaraju, who somehow moved away from his mother, sat in a tempo trax vehicle belonging to Shimoga. The trax operators left him at Shimoga bus stand, after which he was traced by the police.
The women and child welfare department took over his care and thereafter was handed over to Spoorthi Dhama orphanage. Recently, the incharge of Spoorthi Dhama, Keshava Koteshwara had produced Lingaraju in the presence of media persons, asking them to give wide publicity about the boy to help find out his parents. The boy used to say that his parents were Venkatesh and Durga, but could not tell anything about his native place. It is learnt that after reading this report in the media, Basappa came to Koteshwar and narrated his tale to Keshava Koteshwar.
Before the child can be handed over to its father, the orphanage requires the consent of Childrens' Welfare Committees of Udupi, Shimoga and Bagalkot. Koteshwar said he is waiting for their nod.