Two women held for stealing newborn from hospital in MP's Sagar

Sagar, Aug 14 (PTI) Two women were arrested for allegedly stealing a newborn on Thursday from a ward of the government run Bundelkhand Medical College and Hospital (BMC&H) in Sagar district in Madhya Pradesh, a police official said.

The child has been rescued, additional superintendent of police Lokesh Sinha told PTI over phone.

"CCTV footage from the hospital showed a woman in a red sari carrying the infant. We traced her location to Karra Pur, about 15 km from the hospital. A bus was intercepted at Karra Pur area after learning that the woman with her accomplice had boarded it. The woman and her daughter in-law have been arrested. One of the women is 70 years old," he said.

The accused have told police they stole the child since their family did not have a son, Sinha said.

Somati Adivasi (25),who was admitted to BMC on August 8 and delivered on August 9, told reporters a woman was roaming in the ward since morning and took away the child.

"BMC & Hospital Dean Dr P S Thakur has formed a three-member inquiry committee in connection with the incident. A security guard on duty at the ward for 15 days is a suspect. Another guard who helped investigators to locate the child will be felicitated on Independence Day," the facility's Public Relation Officer Dr Sourabh Jain told PTI.

The child was medically examined after being rescued and he is fine, officials added. PTI LAL BNM