In a joint operation carried out by the Hyderabad and Bidar police teams, a six-day-old newborn stolen from the Kote government hospital in Hyderabad was traced and rescued within 48 hours.
However, the woman who took away the baby on the pretext of getting it vaccinated is yet to be arrested.
The Bidar police said that the woman took away the baby on Monday morning. The newborn’s mother allowed the woman to take the baby away thinking that she was a hospital staff.
When the baby was not returned, the mother brought the issue to the notice of the hospital staff who then alerted the police.
Initial examination of CCTV footages installed in the hospital established that an unknown woman was taking the baby away from the hospital.
Hyderabad police formed several teams to check the CCTVs installed at various points, especially the exit points of the city, to know the movement of the baby-lifter.
Finally, they found the woman with the baby boarding a bus to Bidar at the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station. The police then immediately contacted the driver of the bus through Road Transport Corporation authorities and came to know that the woman alighted at Naya Kaman area in Bidar at about 4.30 p.m. on Monday.
Immediately, a team left for Bidar and also alerted the Bidar police seeking their cooperation.
The Bidar police teams headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Srihari Babu swung into action and encircled the area covering Mangarwada, Halladakeri, Hugeri, Mailur and other places and searched more than 500 houses throughout the night and Tuesday morning.
Alerted by the police action, the woman abandoned the baby near Bidar district hospital and fled. A team led by Sub-Inspector of Police Sangamesh Patil came across the baby on Tuesday evening and rushed it to the hospital where the staff kept it in the Intensive Care Unit.
Later, the baby’s fresh photographs were sent to Hyderabad and the mother identified the baby.
Bidar Superintendent of Police D. Devaraj, Additional Superintendent of Police (Telangana) Chetana and Mr. Srihari Babu addressed the media in the evening in Bidar.
“Hyderabad police have left with the baby. We are still searching for the baby-lifter. I am confident that we would arrest her shortly,” Mr. Devaraj told The Hindu on Wednesday evening.