The Madras High Court Bench here on Thursday ordered a Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) probe into the missing of a one-day old baby boy from the maternity ward of Government Rajaji Hospital here on June 15, 2013.
Passing interim orders on a habeas corpus petition filed by the baby’s mother T. Meenakshi (20), a Division Bench of Justice A. Selvam and Justice V.S. Ravi also directed the Additional Director General of Police (DGP), CBCID, to file a status report on the probe by November 20.
The judges transferred the investigation to CBCID since the city police could not trace the baby even after 16 months since it was lifted away. There was not much progress in the case despite a number of directions issued to top officials including the Director General of Police.
Filing the HCP in July last year, the petitioner’s counsel R. Alagumani contended that child lifters were on the prowl in almost all government hospitals in the State. Hence, a Division Bench led by Justice S. Rajeswaran directed the Health Secretary to file a report on the issue.
Complying with the order, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan told the court that 353 closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras had been installed in government hospitals across the State to prevent such incidents. He also said that steps were afoot to appoint security personnel.
Subsequently, the case was adjourned from time to time by different Division Benches of the High Court as the police continued to seek time for tracing the baby. In February this year, a Division Bench led by Mr. Justice Selvam directed the DGP to look into the matter.
In a report filed in June this year, the DGP said that the Madurai city police had interrogated 20 suspects and enquired 110 witnesses in the child missing case and they “have been taking sincere efforts to follow up even small clues or most insignificant information to secure the culprits.” The report also stated the baby could not be traced even after a year only because of faulty CCTV cameras installed in the maternity ward of the hospital.
He said five of the six cameras in the ward were not in a working condition when the incident took place.
Accepting the report, the judges gave more time to the local police to trace the baby. But since they could not crack the case even after 16 months, the court ordered transfer of investigation.
