NEW DELHI: Delhi Police are questioning a woman, who they claim is key to unravelling the mystery behind who are the parents of two-year-old battered baby Falak, who is battling for life at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
Police said they are questioning a woman Laxmi, in her mid 30s, and are near to cracking the case. It was from her that they have been able to draw the chain of sequence leading to Falak landing in hospital.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Chhaya Sharma, the baby's biological mother had abandoned the child at Laxmi's house in Uttar Nagar in west Delhi last year in September. The biological mother has been identified as Munni.
Sharma said the biological mother stayed with Laxmi for some days before she vanished, leaving the child behind. She had told Laxmi that she has been abandoned by her husband and was need of support.
But Laxmi, after keeping Falak for a few days, found it difficult to take care of her and thus decided to pass her on to another person.
"Laxmi is not from a well-off family. She had four children of her own. Her husband is a small-time property dealer," Sharma said.
Through an acquaintance, she came in touch with Rajkumar Gupta alias Dilshad, 28, who was ready to adopt the child, Sharma told reporters. Police is still on the look out for Gupta.
But the sordid tale did not end here.
When Gupta took Falak to his Dwarka home, his wife refused to take care of the girl. Sharma said that one of Gupta's children is physically challenged.
"Rajkumar's wife was not ready to keep Falak in the house as they have their own children who are in Mumbai staying with her parents. Then Rajkumar took the baby to his teenaged girl friend," Sharma said.
In January this year, Gupta left for Mumbai to treat his physically-challenged son, leaving Falak with the 15-year-old girl.
"In the meanwhile, the teenager was taking care of the baby. It seems that she couldn't take proper care of the child and out of frustration she assaulted her physically," Sharma said.
Finally, the teenager got Falak admitted to AIIMS on Jan 18. The teenager is currently in a juvenile home.
Falak is in critical condition at AIIMS. Her head was smashed, and she had bite marks on her face and body and was beaten up badly. The hospital has conducted brain surgeries and is planning another one to save the girl, whose right side of brain is severely damaged.
Sharma said Gupta owns two taxis and operates from the airport. He had rented a flat in Dwarka at a monthly rent of Rs.11,000.
A police team is hunting for Gupta in Mumbai.
"Though investigators have conducted raids at his in-laws house in Mumbai, Gupta managed to slip the police net," said the official.