Abducted infant reunited with parents

Police arrest four suspects, seize the vehicle allegedly used in the crime

ABBOTTABAD:

A 17-day-old infant, who had been kidnapped from the Women and Children Hospital, was safely recovered and four suspects had been arrested within hours of the incident, police claimed on Wednesday.

Abbottabad District Police Officer (DPO) Haroon Rasheed Khan told a presser that Siraj, son of Muhammad Anwar and a resident of Jhangi Syedan, had registered a First Information Report (FIR) at Cantt Police Station under Section 363 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The complainant reported that his 17-day-old son, Huzaifa, had been admitted to the Women and Children Hospital for medical treatment when an unidentified woman allegedly abducted the infant from the nursery ward and fled the premises.

Providing details of the investigation, DPO Khan revealed that the prime suspect, Ayesha Bibi, initially took the newborn to Ayub Medical Complex, where she reportedly changed her appearance in an attempt to evade detection. She then concealed the infant in a bedroll and contacted her husband, Fayyaz Ahmed, along with other accomplices.

According to police, the suspects arrived in a carry van bearing registration number RIA-252 and transported the child to a house in Kathwal village, Gali Banian, Nawanshehr.

A special investigation team, working under the supervision of Cantt SP Ali Hamza, DSP Cantt Tahir Saleem and SHO Cantt Ali Jadoon, traced the suspects through CCTV footage, hospital duty records and modern investigative techniques. Acting swiftly on the intelligence gathered, police conducted a raid at the Kathwal residence and safely recovered the infant.

The arrested suspects were identified as Ayesha Bibi, wife of Fayyaz Ahmed; Fayyaz Ahmed, son of Rab Nawaz; Hazala Bibi, wife of Mushtaq Ahmed; and Wahab Ali, son of Mushtaq Ahmed. All are residents of Kathwal village, Gali Banian, Nawanshehr. Police also impounded the vehicle allegedly used in the crime.

Following the completion of legal formalities, the recovered infant was reunited with his parents.

Expressing their gratitude, the child's parents praised the police for their swift action and effective investigative strategy, which resulted in the safe recovery of their son within a matter of hours.