Bengaluru: A routine shopping trip to KR Market took an unexpected turn for a 50-year-old woman when a man left a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler with her, saying he would return after collecting his luggage — but never did.According to the complaint filed by Radha, a resident of Prakash Nagar, she had stepped out with her sister Parvati to buy flowers, fruits, and vegetables from KR Market around 5pm on April 9. After shopping, the sisters reached near Neravu (a shelter) around 7pm. Tired, Radha rested at Neravu while her sister returned to the market to continue shopping for fruits.At this point, an unknown man, wearing a lungi and carrying a toddler, approached Radha. Requesting her to hold the child briefly while he fetched his luggage, the man handed over the child to Radha and walked away, never to return.Unaware of the man’s intention, Radha waited. But as the minutes passed, it became clear something was wrong. When her sister returned with fruits, the two searched for the man in the area before deciding to take the child to City Market police station.Paper tied like amuletPanicked, Radha and Parvati explained to police how the toddler had landed in their hands. The cops tried to talk to the boy in different languages to check if he could respond or reveal anything about his or his parents’ identity. Meanwhile, they noticed a piece of paper wrapped in a black plastic thread and tied to his neck like an amulet. When they opened the note, they made a startling discovery. The message, written in English, indicated that the man had deliberately abandoned the toddler.Radha told police that she was feeling dizzy and tired when the stranger approached her, and thus could only recall what he was wearing at the time. Police promptly ensured the child’s safety by first getting his medical test done and then sending him to the Shishu Mandir on Dr Marigowda Road, where he is under the care of trained staff.“A case has been registered under BNS Section 93 (exposure and abandonment of a child under 12 years of age). We are analysing CCTV footage to ascertain clues about the man,” a senior police officer said.
