Newborn stolen from Muradnagar CHC, angry villagers block Delhi-Meerut Road for hours

A newborn baby boy was stolen allegedly by an unidentified person from the ward of the community health centre (CHC), Muradnagar, early Saturday morning

A newborn baby boy was stolen allegedly by an unidentified person from the ward of the community health centre (CHC), Muradnagar, early Saturday morning. Following the incident, a group of angry villagers blocked the Delhi-Meerut Road for about four hours demanding action against the CHC staff and immediate recovery of the infant, police said.

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The family of the three-day-old baby got an FIR lodged under IPC section 363 (kidnapping) at the Muradnagar police station and named two doctors and five staff of the CHC, besides four unidentified persons, in the case.

According to the family members, 25-year-old Meenu delivered a baby boy on August 25 at the CHC. The family has alleged the role of unidentified outsiders who they found visiting the ward.

“My wife, along with the boy, was sleeping on a bed. My mother was also sleeping as an attendant on the same bed. It was about 4am when my wife woke up and found the child missing. When we enquired about the incident, the doctors and the hospital staff could not answer how the child went missing from the ward,” said Sandeep Kumar, the infant’s father and a resident of Surana village.

The family said that the couple got married about one and half years ago and the missing boy was their first child.

Meanwhile, more than a hundred angry villagers and locals arrived at the CHC and later went to the Delhi-Meerut Road, just about 50 metres from the CHC, and blocked the Meerut-Ghaziabad side of the road with the help of tractor trolleys, seeking immediate police action in the case.

Police said that the mob also tried to block the other side as well. “But we did not allow them to do so. The blockade started around 9.30am. We had to divert the traffic through the sides of the Upper Ganga Canal. Police finally cleared the road blockade about 1.30pm and normal traffic was restored,” said Iraj Raja, superintendent of police (rural).

“We also lodged an FIR on the basis of complaint given by the family,” Raja said.

Police said that they are scanning the footage of CCTV cameras installed at the premises of the health centre and also at nearby shops.

The FIR also named Dr Dinesh Kumar, the CHC’s in-charge who joined the facility four days ago.

“We are also upset about the incident. It is unfortunate that the child went missing. Besides our staff on night duty, a guard was also present at the facility. Police have taken the CCTV footage and are investigating the case,” said Dr Kumar.

He said that from now, a visitors register will be maintained with their names, addresses, and mobile phone numbers, among other details.

Dr Dinesh also said that the family had told them about an unidentified woman who had visited the ward. “The family told us that the woman was wearing a mask and also came to the ward two-three times. We have given all such details to police. The ward has eight beds, and at present all of them are occupied,” he said.

The family of the child alleged that they had complained to the hospital staff about some suspicious persons, but no action was taken. “After the incident, the staff told us that they do not have password of the CCTV recording, and later they said that the CCTV cameras were not working. It is a complete negligence on part of hospital staff that the child was taken away,” said Ajit Singh, the child’s uncle.

Meanwhile, Ghaziabad chief medical officer Dr Bhavtosh Shankhdhar visited the CHC and suspended two staff. “A decision was taken to suspend a woman staffer and the sweeper of the hospital. Police investigation is on in the case,” CMO added.

Police officials said that they are contemplating action against agitators who blocked the road, but the priority is to find the missing baby boy.