A 43-year-old coffee estate owner from Karnataka’s Kodagu district has been taken into custody for allegedly leaving his two-week-old baby girl inside an auto-rickshaw at Bengaluru’s Kengeri Satellite Bus Stand last month, Indian Express reported.

Authorities revealed the baby, born prematurely and with a cleft lip, was left wrapped in cloth in the backseat of a parked auto around dawn on April 24. CCTV surveillance captured the man and his partner placing the infant in the vehicle before walking away.

The man has been identified as P Appanna, a resident of Virajpet, who owns a 10-acre coffee plantation. He was tracked down by police using footage and hospital records. Investigators later confirmed the child was born just days earlier at Vani Vilas Hospital.

A passerby, Rajasekhar Rao, noticed the baby crying around 5:50 am and quickly informed the police. The child was rushed back to the same hospital for medical attention. She remains under care, with doctors closely observing her condition.

Appanna and his partner, both separated from former spouses, reportedly travelled to Bengaluru intending to abandon the child. The woman, struggling with alcohol dependency, is said to have refused to care for the baby, citing her cleft lip and an inability to breastfeed. She has now been admitted to a rehabilitation facility.

The infant is now in the custody of the Child Welfare Commission, ensuring her safety and ongoing care.