Police rescue infant kidnapped from hospital in Amta

Kolkata: A chilling drama played out in Amta, Howrah, on Tuesday when a newborn baby was kidnapped from a hospital, sparking panic, chaos and outrage before Howrah Rural Police rescued the infant in a swift operation.

According to sources, the baby boy was born 10 days ago to Mandira Bag of Chandrapur village. Both mother and child had been discharged, but Mandira’s sudden illness forced her to be readmitted on Saturday. Given her condition, the newborn was allowed to stay by her side.

On Tuesday, the baby’s grandmother was walking through the hospital with the child in her arms when a stranger approached. The woman engaged her in casual conversation and, under the guise of helping with the newborn, convinced her to hand the baby over. Within moments, she disappeared from the hospital with the child. The disappearance sent shockwaves through the hospital. Mandira’s family raised an alarm and informed authorities. Enraged over the glaring lapse in security, they vandalised parts of the hospital, demanding immediate action.

Police were promptly alerted. An investigation began with officers scanning CCTV footage, which showed the woman leaving the hospital with the baby. The footage was circulated across all Howrah Rural Police stations. Within hours, the kidnapper was identified as Pinki Bag. Identifying her address, police raided the location, rescued the baby and arrested Pinki.

During interrogation, Pinki reportedly confessed she had health complications preventing her from conceiving but longed for a child. Driven by desperation, she abducted the newborn.