Posing as nurses, two women abduct newborn from Kalaburagi hospital

The 26-year-old mother of the infant, Kasturi, a resident of Ravura village in Chittapur taluk, was admitted to the hospital for delivery and gave birth to a healthy baby boy early on Monday morning

A day-old infant was kidnapped by two women, who allegedly posed as nurses, at the Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) Hospital in Kalaburagi on Monday, police officers aware of the matter said on Tuesday, adding that a manhunt has been launched to track down the kidnappers.

Under the pretext of conducting blood tests of the baby, the impostors persuaded a relative to hand over the newborn, police said. (Representational image)

The 26-year-old mother of the infant, Kasturi, a resident of Ravura village in Chittapur taluk, was admitted to the hospital for delivery and gave birth to a healthy baby boy early on Monday morning, they added.

The incident unfolded in the afternoon when the women, with their faces fully covered, approached Kasturi’s family. Under the pretext of conducting blood tests of the baby, the impostors persuaded a relative to hand over the newborn, police said.

“At around 3pm, the two women abducted the baby,” Kalaburagi police commissioner SD Sharanappa said. “We have formed four teams to apprehend the suspects, and a case has been registered at the Brahmapur Police Station under Section 137 (kidnapping) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,” Sharanappa added.

After the unsuspecting relative of Kasturi allegedly handed over the baby to the women, they fled the hospital premises. When the family members realised that the newborn was abducted, they immediately alerted the hospital authorities and police, they said.

As the mother has become inconsolable after the abduction, police have intensified their efforts to locate the missing child, officers said.

State medical education minister Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil visited the hospital to meet the distraught family and gathered details about the incident. Speaking to Kasturi and her relatives, Patil expressed deep concern over the incident and assured the family that all measures were being taken to recover the infant.

“The government will leave no stone unturned to bring the baby back safely,” Dr. Patil said. He also held discussions with hospital authorities to understand the security lapses that led to the kidnapping of the infant.

Police teams have launched an extensive search operation across the region, examining CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses in and around the hospital. GIMS authorities are cooperating with the investigation, providing all necessary assistance to law enforcement, investigators said.