Burdwan (West Bengal): The newborn girl, who was stolen from a government hospital in West Bengal’s Purba (East) Burdwan district, was rescued Monday and the main accused in the case arrested within 24 hours of the incident, police said.
The baby was rescued from a bus while the woman, identified as Madhumita Banerjee, was taking her to Durgapur, they said.
The woman, a resident of Raina area in the district, left her husband and was staying with another man in Durgapur. Police, however, are yet to find out the motive behind the theft.
The woman lured the newborn’s parents with the promise of getting them money from a government scheme. She was identified through CCTV footage of the hospital.
The girl was born Friday in the maternity ward of the Barddhaman Medical College and Hospital and the baby and her mother, Rima Malik, were released Sunday.
When the family members were leaving the hospital, the woman came to them claiming to be a social worker. She told them that the government provides Rs 6,000 to all girl child born in hospitals.
The accused woman then took them to another government hospital and sent the newborn’s parents on errands and fled with the baby. The baby has been handed over to her parents, officials said.
PTI