NEW DELHI: In a chilling incident, a 27-year-old woman has been arrested by the Delhi Police for abducting a day-old baby girl from Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday. The accused, identified as Pooja, told police she committed the crime due to her inability to conceive during her seven-year-long marriage.
A senior police officer said that the infant was rescued following swift action by the authorities, who traced the accused using CCTV footage from the hospital and the route she took to her home in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi.
Infant Went Missing from Ward
The incident occurred around 3:17 p.m. on April 15, when hospital CCTV footage captured the woman walking out of a ward with the newborn in her arms. The infant’s father immediately lodged a complaint, and a case was registered at the Safdarjung Police Station under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to kidnapping.
According to investigators, Pooja had deceived her husband by pretending to be pregnant and claimed she was getting admitted to Safdarjung Hospital on April 14. The following day, she allegedly kidnapped the newborn and returned home, falsely presenting the child as her own.
Rescue and Arrest
“The accused meticulously planned the act. She convinced her husband of her pregnancy and faked hospital admission. After abducting the baby, she brought her home and introduced the infant as her biological child,” a police officer said.
Following extensive CCTV review and local inquiries, police traced the woman’s location and rescued the child unharmed. The infant has since been safely returned to her parents.
An investigation is ongoing to determine if the accused had any prior criminal history or accomplices.
