Bolangir: After receiving a tip-off, a police team rescued a stolen newborn Saturday from Gadsara area in Sindhekela police limits of this district and arrested two persons.
The baby was stolen three days ago from Patnagarh sub-divisional hospital.
The culprits are Sukadev Sahu and his wife Sabita Sahu. Sabita stole the newborn from the hospital claiming to be an ASHA March 6, SP K Siva Subramani said here Saturday.
Police scanned the CCTV footage of the bike on which Sabita escaped carrying the newborn, and arrested the two from Gadsara.
The newborn was handed over to its mother and admitted to the Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital here. The baby’s rescue spread cheer in his family.
Sources said Rudra Tandi, 35, of Ghasien village in Patnagarh block and his wife Jayanti Tandi, 30, were staying at Rengali village near Chudapali.
In the evening of March 3, Jayanti gave birth to a baby boy at the Patnagarh sub-divisional hospital.
Wednesday morning she was taking rest on her bed (No: 67) in the hospital, along with her baby after her husband and mother-in-law went out for something. At that time, a woman wearing the uniform of an ASHA came and sat beside her, and enquired about her medical condition as well as the baby.
Later, she wanted to carry the baby and gave Rs 100 as part of the ritual for seeing a newborn. Gradually, she gained the confidence of Jayanti and started playing with the baby.
Saying that she wanted to take the baby outside, she went out of the hospital premises and fled. Jayanti remained silent believing that the woman might have taken the baby for a check-up with a doctor, but broke down after realising the truth.
This created tension as people held the hospital staff responsible for the theft of the baby.
Later, they blocked the Bolangir-Nuapada state highway as the police assaulted the baby’s father while attempting to disperse the protesters. An ASI of Patnagarh police station was suspended for assaulting Rudra Tandi, the baby’s father.
An eyewitness told the police that the suspect woman had fled on a motorcycle along with her accomplice.
PNN
