Newborn allegedly abducted from Noida Hospital, recovered after 10-hour search

Noida: A three-day-old girl allegedly abducted from a government hospital in Sector 110, Noida, on Friday was recovered from Delhi after a 10-hour search. Phase 2 police are questioning the woman suspected of taking the newborn, while the role of a man who allegedly accompanied her on a motorcycle is also being investigated. 

The infant was born on October 6 to a cab driver from Bhangel and his wife, who underwent a Caesarean section. The family was preparing to leave the hospital on Friday when the incident occurred.

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According to the family, around 8 am, the woman and her husband went to consult a doctor, leaving the newborn with the woman’s mother. During their absence, an unidentified woman allegedly approached the family and offered to help them obtain government financial assistance available for the birth of a girl child.

The woman reportedly told the family that they could receive Rs 4,000 in government assistance and that some paperwork was required. She allegedly claimed that the newborn would need to accompany her to complete the formalities.

Trusting the woman’s assurances, the family allowed her to hold the infant. However, she allegedly took advantage of the situation and left the hospital with the baby. When the family realised that the baby was missing, they began searching for her and raised an alarm.

The matter was subsequently reported to the police.

Following the complaint, Phase 2 police launched a search operation and formed two teams to trace the missing infant. A third team examined CCTV footage from the hospital and nearby areas to identify the suspected woman and establish the circumstances of the incident.

Preliminary footage reportedly showed a woman leaving with the baby on a motorcycle accompanied by a man. Investigators followed the leads and traced the woman and the infant to Delhi after an intensive search lasting around 10 hours.

Speaking to TOI, the mother said that the suspect had won the family’s trust by offering to help them access govt benefits. The woman allegedly said she had paid money to take the baby, which the family denied. Police said they were questioning the woman to establish the circumstances of the incident. The identity and role of the man on the motorcycle are being investigated.

The incident has also drawn attention to government financial assistance schemes intended to support families raising girl children.

Under the Uttar Pradesh government's Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana, eligible families receive financial assistance of Rs 5,000 following the birth of a girl child, subject to the scheme's eligibility conditions, including an annual family income limit of Rs 3 lakh.

The scheme provides a total benefit of Rs 20,000 in five instalments, according to the details provided. The assistance is intended to support the girl child's development and education through specified stages, subject to the applicable eligibility requirements.

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