Kidnapped infant found within hours

Vijaynagar resident Anita was very lucky. Peeyush Khandelwal reports.

Vijaynagar resident Anita was very lucky.

HT Image

She visited district MMG hospital in Ghaziabad on Wednesday, taking her three-month-old son with her. Her mother-in-law was also with her for the baby's vaccination. While her mother-in-law went to get some medicine, a woman in her mid 20s befriended Anita. She left her son with this woman as she had some work. A few minutes later she found both her baby and the woman were missing.

A distraught Anita immediately informed the hospital authorities and then the police. This quick action proved handy as the police swung into action and found the baby abandoned in a shack a few hours later near the Delhi-UP border.

A similar case was reported from the women's wing of the same hospital in February but the mother wasn't as lucky. The baby is yet to be traced and the accused woman missing. The police had also announced a R10,000 reward and released her sketch.

In November 2009, a newborn baby was reported missing from this hospital. Sources said an unidentified woman had taken the baby from the labour room. In both the cases, complaints were lodged at Ghanta Ghar police station.

The hospitals chief medical superintendent, Dr AK Verma, said, "We cannot take any security measures if someone hands over their child to un-identified persons.”

But Verma said they were planning to install CCTV cameras in the hospital.

Ghaziabad district magistrate Hridesh Kumar said, "During the previous case, the hospital staff was transferred. We have initiated an inquiry into the latest case also."