Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (RJP)
Kundapur, Mar 27: It was about eight months ago that baby Panchami was found abandoned in a forest near Jadkal in Chittoor gram panchayat limits. The newborn had survived 30 hours of rain, cold and hunger, and was termed by many as a 'miracle' baby for grit. She had been abandoned there by her then minor mother.
But on Friday March 27, Panchami's case took a happy turn as her mother tied the knot with her biological father at Sri Rakteshwari Temple here on Friday March 27.
The nuptial ceremony between Panchami's mother Swati (name changed) and Shashikumar took place in the presence of circle inspector P M Diwakar.
Shashikumar (then 22), a resident of Shetrakodi, Beloor in Sagar had been arrested from Sagar on August 4, 2014 and charged with rape. He was released after he promised to marry Swati. His parents too gave their consent.
A simple wedding became the centre of attraction because of the attention the couple attracted after newborn Panchami was found abandoned in a forest. After she was found by some journalists and locals, it came to light that Swati, a resident of Kudlu, had, with the help of her mother, left her newborn in the forest.
Shashikumar had developed a relationship with Swati, when he worked in a quarry at Byndoor, while Swati worked at a cashew factory. In November 2013, after Shashi came to know about Swati's pregnancy, he had a fight with her family and went absconding.
On July 31, 2014, Swati accompanied by her mother went to a jungle at Chittur village near Kollur and gave birth to a girl, and left her there.
When Swati had become pregnant, the fellow villagers had taken note of this development. The villagers found that Swati's abdomen had flattened overnight. They smelt something fishy and immediately passed on information to some journalists, who then contacted local circle inspector, P M Diwakar, and visited the home of Swati with police. But Swati and her mother had refused to cooperate.
The journalists then visited the spot and with the help of Ganesh, the driver of the Omni vehicle which had taken a pregnant Swati and her mother to the jungle, they found the baby which was weeping inconsolably at the spot. The fact was immediately brought to the notice of police circle inspector, Diwakar, and the baby was admitted into Chinmayi Hospital in the town. But by then the child had suffered in the open due to rain and hunger for almost 30 hours.
Tahsildar Gayatri Nayak and deputy superintendent of police C B Patil had said that they had given the name 'Panchami' to the girl as she was born on the auspicious day of Nagara Panchami festival.
Police circle inspector P M Diwakar taking serious note of the incident, had registered a complaint against Swati and her mother Prema, and arrested both of them. Driver Ganesh was made the complainant, and the doctor of a private clinic was also named as an accused for supporting this inhuman act. Shashikumar was also arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Baby Panchami was then handed over to Namma Bhoomi centre which comes under the Concerned for Working Children (CWC), an NGO that looked after the needs and welfare of children. After the marriage on Friday, Panchami was handed over to her parents.
Shashi's mother Thungamma, grandmother Neelamma, uncle Shivappa and brother-in-law Nandi and Swati's mother Prema and the officials from CWC including volunteers Padmavathi Joshi and Rathna D attended the wedding.
Panchami and Swati will be taken to Sagar very soon, said Shashi. He also said that he will look after his wife and child very well with utmost care. Indeed, all's well that ends well.