Deaf and mute , nine - year - old Lakhan Singh was being cared for by his mother . She tied him to a pole while she went to work selling trinkets on a Mumbai beachfront . He now lives in a juvenile center but it 's not a home for children with special needs . CNN attempted several times to contact the minister responsible for women and children 's affairs in Mumbai , Varsha Gaikwad , but received no response . Mumbai 's got a severe shortage of care homes for children with disabilities .
Deaf and mute , nine - year - old Lakhan Singh was being cared for by his mother . She tied him to a pole while she went to work selling trinkets on a Mumbai beachfront . He now lives in a juvenile center but it 's not a home for children with special needs . Mumbai 's got a severe shortage of care homes for children with disabilities .