32-year-old nurse steals newly-born boy from hospital, booked

A nurse at a private city hospital stole a newly-born boy from the hospital where she worked, in the wee hours of Sunday.

A nurse at a private city hospital stole a newly-born boy from the hospital where she worked, in the wee hours of Sunday. The unfulfilled desire of bearing a male child compelled the nurse, identified as 32-year-old Asha, a resident of Shimlapuri, to commit crime.

The nurse had two daughters - nine-year-old Victoria and six-year-old Alisha - after whose birth Asha had undergone tubectomy. But, the desire to have a boy was in her mind. On September 3, Preet Kaur, 23, a resident of Bajda village gave birth to a male child after a cesarean operation at Arora Nursing Home near Baba Than Singh Chowk. The nurse had an eye on the child. It was Preet's first child. She was still admitted in the hospital, when on Sunday morning, the nurse took away the boy from the ward when everyone was sleeping. She left the child at her parent's house in Shimlapuri area and came back to duty.

Preet's husband Gurbhej Singh said, "My mother, father, sister and I were sleeping in the hospital veranda, while Preet, along with the baby, was sleeping in the hospital ward, when the incident happened."

He said, "Around 5am, when I went inside the ward to see my wife and the child, I was shocked as my son was not on the bed. I raised alarm and informed the hospital authorities. I also made a complaint at police control room, following which the Division Number 3 police reached the spot and initiated investigation."

Division Number 3 SHO Rajesh Sharma said, "The police questioned the hospital staff and other patients. When we scanned the footage of CCTVs installed in the hospital, the nurse was found taking the newborn outside." "The police rounded her up and questioned. The nurse tried to distract the police, but when the police posed harsh she confessed her crime," Sharma said.
The police recovered the newborn from Shimlapuri following the information provided by the accused nurse and handed over the newborn to his parents.

A case under Section 363, 365 and 120 B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against her in this context.

Nurse told parents that she adopted the newborn

SHO Rajesh Kumar said, "The police also questioned accused's mother, brother and husband. Her mother told that Asha came home in a hurry with a newborn child in her hands. She told them that she adopted the newborn boy from a couple and left the home immediately, asking them to take care of the child."

SHO said her mother told that Asha stated that she would come back after some time after completing the formalities for adoption. Her parents said they had no idea that her daughter had stolen the child, Sharma added.

Asha said, "I have six sisters and a brother, who is the youngest among us. I, too, have two daughters, and I always desired to have a son, so I decided to steal the newborn."

The SHO said, "The police have been suspecting involvement of some more people in the crime. The police also suspect that she has abducted the newborn with intension to sell him for money. Important information is expected from the nurse in questioning."