Newborn abducted from private hospital

Woman in abaya, another wearing white coat seen in CCTV footage leaving hospital with the baby in a rickshaw

KARACHI:

A newborn baby was abducted from a private hospital in Gulberg. Police have arrested three hospital employees.

CCTV footage shows two women in abaya and white coat carrying the baby out of the hospital. According to details, a two-day-old baby was abducted from a private hospital near Water Pump Chowrangi in Gulberg yesterday.

The incident took place at 4am on Sunday, SSP Central Maroof Usman said. The baby boy Ahmed was born two days ago. Baby's father works in a garment factory. As per family sources, a woman came to the child's mother in the early hours of Sunday.

The woman was wearing a white coat, like that of doctors, and the mother thought she was a doctor or a member of the hospital staff. The suspected woman in white coat examined the child and said that he was running a fever and they will have to shift him to children's ward. The baby's mother allowed the suspect to move the newborn to the ward.

Shortly afterwards, the other family members arrived at the hospital and the child's mother informed them of the situation. When the baby's father went to the ward, his baby was not there, and the baby's father questioned about him and immediately informed the police.

SSP Maroof Usman further said that upon receiving the information, the police reached the spot and obtained information and arrested three employees of the hospital on suspicion. SSP said police have registered a case and started investigations.

The close circuit television (CCTV) camera footage of the incident also came to light in which two women were seen carrying a child. At the main gate of the hospital, two women were seen carrying the baby, one wearing an abaya and the other a white coat. After leaving the hospital, both women stopped for a while and then they walked further and fled in a rickshaw which was already parked.

SSP Maroof said that when he asked the hospital management for CCTV footage of the cameras installed inside the hospital, he said that the cameras were out-of-order. Management told that a few days ago, there was a short circuit in the hospital due to which all the 32 cameras are not working. The family of kidnapped child has demanded his safe and immediate recovery.

Talking to The Express Tribune at Gulberg police station, the boy's father Mohammad Aslam and uncle Mohammad Zohaib said that they work in a local textile mill and live near New Karachi Allahwala Chowrangi. They said that they had gone for Sehri outside the hospital. They came to know about the incident when they came back.