Mumbai cop gifts new cradle to mother and infant living on the street

A Mumbai police officer's act of gifting a new cradle to a pavement-dweller mother has gone viral, drawing praise and widespread attention on social media.

In a city that rarely slows down, a Mumbai cop did. While heading home after duty, he noticed a baby lying in an unsafe makeshift cradle on the pavement and decided to step in. That brief moment, captured on video, has now touched over seven million people.

The Mumbai police officer Sushil Shikhare has gone viral after a video from his Instagram account showed him stepping in to help a pavement-dwelling mother and her infant. The clip, which has now crossed 7 million views, captures a moment that feels simple but carries deep meaning. Shikhare is seen noticing a baby lying in a fragile, broken makeshift cradle on the footpath. Instead of walking past, he pauses, checks if the child is safe, and then does something unexpected. He breaks the unsafe cradle and replaces it with a brand new one.

The emotional Marathi caption accompanying the video, translated into English, explains the moment from the heart. It speaks about how people often say that police officers lack humanity, but forget that beneath the khaki uniform beats a living, feeling heart. It recounts how, after finishing duty each day, the officer would see the baby lying exposed to mosquitoes and flies, with the mother helplessly watching because she couldn’t afford a proper cradle. That day, rules and ranks were set aside. Only a human response remained.

Watch the video here:

A post shared by Sushil Shikhare (@copssushilk_18)

What stood out to viewers wasn’t just the gift, but the intent behind it. As the caption notes, people may notice the baton, but behind it was compassion, care, and dignity.