Chennai: An abandoned pregnant girl, who was aimlessly commuting on a suburban train, was given a ray of hope.
A social work student from Madras Christian College who understood the pain of the mentally disturbed girl extended a helping shoulder.
When the girl with untidy clothes and crinkly hair boarded the train at Guindy railway station on Sunday afternoon, Amrita Xavier, a 24-year-old student commuting on the same train did not give a thought, assuming her to be a beggar.
“She was oblivious of the surroundings. When I noticed her clearly, I understood that she is too young to be pregnant,” narrated Amrita. The girl is believed to be below 20 years of age.
The girl did not get off the train at Tambaram, which is the last station of the Chennai Beach— Tambaram suburban route. Amrita, who had no heart to leave the girl, convinced her to get down and tried to know her whereabouts. It was then that the social work student realised that she is mentally ill.
“She was screaming and was unwilling to talk to me. She did not want to come,” she added.
The Railway Police Force (RPF) officials’ attempts to soothe the pregnant girl turned futile, as she boarded a running train, prompting Amrita to take the same train.
“I found her after a much difficulty. I reached out to Rehoboth, an organisation for the mentally ill for help and learnt that there were no volunteers available. A few passengers helped me to take her to the Beach police station, where I registered a memo,” said Amrita, who later took the girl to the organisation.
Zoraida Samuel, founder and social worker of Rehoboth, told Deccan Chronicle that the girl, who is declared eight months pregnant by the doctors, has been provided psychiatric assistance.
“She is speech impaired and is responding through actions. We have given her harmless sedatives to soothe her, as she is very aggressive,” Zoraida Samuel said.
