Man held for abandoning newborn at church in Kerala

A man was today arrested for abandoning his newborn baby in a church in Edappally here, police said.

The two-day old's parents were traced from Wadakancherry in Thrissur this morning, they said.

The father of the baby will be charged under various sections of IPC and Juvenile Justice Act, police said.

CCTV footage aired by television channels and circulated on social media showed a couple leaving the child in the premises of St George Forane Church late evening yesterday.

The security staff of the church noticed the child at around 8.30 pm and immediately alerted the police.

In the CCTV footage, the couple along with another child, is seen walking into the church premises around 8.15 pm with the baby wrapped in an orange sheet.

The father kisses the baby on its forehead before carefully placing on the ground of the church.

Police said the exact reason for the couple to take such a step would be known only after a detailed interrogation of the father.

The baby was admitted to a private hospital immediately after the incident.

Hospital sources said the infant was healthy.