Kochi | A newborn boy found abandoned near a mall at Maradu here last month has been officially taken into the custody of the CWC on Monday, officials said.

Following the direction of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), the newborn was shifted to a Special Adoption Agency (SAA) for further care after being discharged from the hospital, officials said.

The infant was found abandoned near a roadside eatery close to a mall in the early hours of June 28.

On receiving information, a team from the Maradu police station rushed to the spot and shifted the baby to the casualty wing of Ernakulam General Hospital.

The infant was later admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where he underwent specialised treatment.

According to officials, after the hospital authorities certified that the baby was fit for discharge and in good health, the CWC and the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), on behalf of the state government, formally took custody of the child from the hospital.

The infant has since been shifted to an SAA for further care and protection, officials said.

The CWC has registered a case of its own into the circumstances that led to the abandonment of the newborn.

The committee has directed the Station House Officer of Maradu police station to conduct an urgent and detailed investigation into the incident.

The DCPU has also been asked to conduct a detailed inquiry into the circumstances that led to the abandonment of the child and submit a report, officials added.