Woman arrested for stealing baby from Nagapattinam hospital

The accused had lifted the baby out of desperation to have a child

A 23-year-old woman was nabbed by the police for stealing a week-old baby girl from her mother at the Government Hospital here on Thursday.

The name of the arrested woman given as Sathya (23). She was nabbed from her house on Xavaria Street at Kadambadi along with the baby, on Thursday morning.

Ponni, Superintendent of Police, told

The Hindu that the woman was not part of any gang and had committed the crime out of desperate want of a child.

“When we went to her place, Sathya was tending to the baby with newly bought toys and baby food.”

Sathya has been married to Gerald for six years, and the couple was yet to have a baby. Compelled by circumstances, Sathya had faked pregnancy and was seen visiting the Government Hospital under the guise of seeking treatment.

She had befriended Keerthiga, who was admitted in the hospital early this week for family planning surgery. Keerthiga (23) had given birth to a baby girl a week ago at Thirukannapuram PHC in Thirumarugal block.

On Wednesday, when Keerthiga’s husband Balakrishnan had left her side to buy food, Sathya offered to take the baby for vaccination to the ground floor of the hospital.

Keerthiga, who had a love marriage and had no family support, was open to help from Sathya.

CCTV footage However, Sathya scooted off with the baby and was last seen walking out with the baby on the CCTV footage on Wednesday forenoon.

Three teams were constituted immediately and over 75 people interrogated at the government hospital and at the Thirukannapuram PHC, where the baby was born, Ms. Ponni told The Hindu .

The police screened a month-long CCTV footage. It was the CCTV footage that gave the police a clinching lead.

“Sathya was captured talking to a woman on the hospital corridors on February 21, and we traced the other woman. She gave us the whereabouts of Sathya,” Ms. Ponni said.

Sathya was booked for kidnapping.

The baby was handed over to its parents in the presence of Collector T. Munusamy.