India policewoman praised for breastfeeding abandoned baby Published duration 5 June 2018

image caption Archana, the policewoman, recently gave birth to her own child

An Indian policewoman is being praised for breastfeeding an abandoned newborn and possibly saving his life in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.

"I just couldn't bear it," she said. "I felt like my child was crying and I had to feed the baby."

Authorities said they received a call from a local shopkeeper, who spotted the newborn near a construction site in the capital city of Bangalore.

The newborn has been hailed by local residents as the "government's baby".

The policewoman, who has only given her first name, Archana, told BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi that she recently gave birth to a son and felt connected to the abandoned newborn at first sight. Her colleagues are full of praise for her quick actions, which, they said, probably saved the baby's life.

Police officer Nagesh R said he took the child to a nearby hospital after finding him in a "bad state" - dumped in a pile of garbage on the outskirts of the city.

The baby has been handed over to a children's home by the police, who have also registered a complaint against unknown persons for abandoning the child.