In a shocking and heart-wrenching development, authorities have arrested the mother of an abandoned newborn who was found alive in a plastic bag nearly four years ago in Georgia. The woman, identified as 40-year-old Karima Jiwani, is now facing multiple charges, including attempted murder.

The abandoned baby girl, temporarily named India, was discovered in good condition in a wooded area in Forsyth County on June 6, 2019. A local family who heard cries found the newborn wrapped in a plastic bag and immediately called 911. The infant still had her umbilical cord attached and was believed to have been born just hours before being found.

For years, the Forsyth County Major Crimes Unit had tirelessly worked on the case known as “Baby India.” Their relentless efforts finally led to a breakthrough approximately 10 months ago when they identified the child’s father through advanced DNA investigative techniques. There is no evidence to suggest that the child’s father was aware of the pregnancy or the subsequent abandonment.

DNA evidence has now confirmed Karima Jiwani as the biological mother of the child. Jiwani is facing serious charges, including attempted murder, cruelty to children in the first degree, aggravated assault, and reckless abandonment. She is currently being held without bond at the Forsyth County Jail and is scheduled for her first remote court appearance on Saturday.

Sheriff Ron Freeman of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office expressed his astonishment at the arrest, saying, “Four years ago, I said in this room, and I told you, we will bring this person to justice. Little did I know it was going to take four years.” He commended the investigators who dedicated “thousands of hours” to solving the case.

Authorities revealed that Jiwani had a history of concealing pregnancies and surprise births, going to great lengths to hide her pregnancies. While pregnant with India, she reportedly took extreme measures to keep the pregnancy hidden. Investigators did not find any prior criminal acts associated with Jiwani.

Tragically, India was likely born in a car, and Jiwani allegedly drove the newborn for a “significant period of time” before discarding her, according to Sheriff Freeman. There was no attempt to leave the baby at a “safe haven,” which is legal within 30 days of birth in the state of Georgia. Instead, the child was tied up in a plastic bag and left in the woods, an act that Freeman described as “one of the saddest things I have ever seen.”

Despite the traumatic start to her life, India is now thriving and healthy. Freeman did not discuss further details about her current situation due to confidentiality.

The case of Baby India, as she was initially known, had stirred a wave of interest and compassion. People from around the country had expressed interest in adopting her following her miraculous recovery. Sheriff Freeman thanked the family who found the baby, calling it a “divine intervention” and expressing his belief that many elements had to align for the little girl to survive.