The bus driver noticed something being thrown out and asked Altaf Shaikh about it. He claimed his wife had vomited because of motion sickness.
Luckily, a man passing by saw the cloth bundle on the road, found the baby inside, and immediately called the police. A patrolling team quickly responded and stopped the bus. After a short inquiry, police took Ritika Dhere and Altaf Shaikh into custody.
During questioning, the couple reportedly told police that they couldn’t afford to raise the baby, so they chose to abandon him. Sadly, the baby died after hitting the road, police confirmed.
Ritika and Altaf are originally from Parbhani and had been living in Pune for the last 18 months. Although they claimed to be married, they were unable to show any legal documents proving it.
Police took Ritika to a hospital for treatment. A case has been registered at the Pathri Police Station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for hiding a birth and secretly disposing of a dead body.
The investigation is ongoing.
(With PTI inputs)
