Newborn kidnapped from Rohini hospital, rescued hours later; two arrested

A newborn boy kidnapped from a hospital in Rohini was safely recovered; two suspects, a 40-year-old woman and her 20-year-old associate, were arrested.

A newborn boy was kidnapped from the labour ward of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital in Rohini on Tuesday morning but was safely recovered by late evening, police said. A 40-year-old woman and her 20-year-old associate have been arrested.

Newborn kidnapped from Rohini hospital, rescued hours later; two arrested

Deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) Rajiv Ranjan said the kidnapping came to fore around 9am after the infant’s monther discovered both her baby and the woman missing from the ward.

The child’s father immediately alerted police. A team reached the spot and learnt that the 30-year-old mother, a Narela resident, was admitted to the hospital on February 12 and she delivered a male child on February 14. The mother was staying at the hospital for post delivery care and while in hospital, a woman in her 30s repeatedly visited her, gained her trust and offered help with caring for the baby.

“Police said around 5am on February 17, the woman took the newborn in her arms and asked the mother to go back to sleep. When the mother woke up three hours later, the woman and the child had vanished,” Ranjan said.

An FIR was registered at North Rohini police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, following which hospital staff and security personnel were questioned and CCTV footage examined.

Based on technical surveillance and informant information, the baby was traced and recovered from the Delhi-Meerut Expressway from two people. Police identified the woman as a 40-year-old from Siraspur, north-west Delhi, but did not release her name. Her associate was identified as 20-year-old Ahibaran Saxena, who works at a stone market in Noida.

“The child has been safely reunited with the family. Both accused are in custody and further investigation is underway,” Ranjan said, adding that the motive behind the kidnapping and further details in the case are being ascertained.

Police said efforts are ongoing to establish whether the accused were part of a larger network.