In a shocking incident, a baby boy was given to a childless couple allegedly by a part-time worker at a government hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, after obtaining the infant from his poverty-stricken mother on the promise of protecting him.
The incident came to light after the mother
returned to the hospital on Wednesday to get back the baby from the woman to whom she claimed to have entrusted it nine days after the delivery about a month back.
Though it was initially suspected that the baby was sold by the mother for Rs 5000, she later claimed that she did not sell the child. The baby has been restored to the mother and for time being they were put up in a charity home in the city, police said.
The woman, hailing from a village in Kollam district, told local media that it was out of her helplessness that she entrusted the baby boy with the woman, a part-time sweeper of the hospital.
A case has been registered against the woman on charge of abandoning the child, police said.
However, no case had been registered against the part-time sweeper and the couple who took the child by the police, as no complaint had been received from the mother.
Meanwhile, State Health and Social Welfare Minister PK Sreemathi said she could comment on the incident only after enquiring into it.