In a shocking incident from the national capital, Delhi Police have arrested two women for allegedly kidnapping a four-day-old baby boy from a hospital in Rohini's Sector 6. The police revealed that the kidnapping was meticulously planned by the infant's own aunt, motivated by an old family grudge.
The Kidnapping Plot Unfolds at the Hospital
The ordeal began when the newborn's mother filed a formal complaint with the police on Wednesday, stating that her son had been taken from the hospital. Acting swiftly, the North Rohini police station registered a case under sections 137 (kidnapping) and 140 (kidnapping or abducting to murder or for ransom) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Investigators turned to CCTV footage, which provided a crucial breakthrough. The footage showed that the child's aunt, identified as Suman Devi (45), who is the wife of the baby's maternal uncle, had asked the mother to hand over the infant to another woman named Pooja Soni, also known as Radha (43). Soni had falsely presented herself as a hospital employee.
"Soni told the family she would assist with the baby's vaccination," said DCP (Rohini) Rajeev Ranjan. However, the vaccination centre was closed at the time. Seizing the opportunity, Soni then took the newborn on the pretext of weighing him and subsequently fled from the scene with the child.
Police Investigation and Dramatic Rescue
The police's prompt action led to the apprehension of Suman Devi, a homemaker from Sagar Pur, from the spot. During questioning, she confessed to orchestrating the kidnapping with the help of Pooja Soni. The investigation further uncovered that Soni, who works as a cook and domestic helper in Uttam Nagar, had pretended to be a hospital staffer.
After taking the baby, Soni handed him over to Suman Devi's 14-year-old daughter at their home. Following this lead, police conducted a raid at Suman's residence. The four-day-old baby boy was successfully recovered from the house and was safely reunited with his mother. The police later arrested the co-accused, Pooja Soni.
Motivation Behind the Heinous Act
Delving into the motive, police officials stated that Suman Devi planned the kidnapping to settle an old score with her in-laws, specifically targeting the child's mother and maternal grandmother. A senior police officer disclosed a disturbing belief that fueled the crime.
"Suman believed that the child's mother was involved in black magic, which she thought caused her to lose her own babies in the past," the officer revealed. This deep-seated grudge and superstition allegedly drove her to plot the abduction of the newborn.
This incident highlights a worrying trend of infant kidnappings from healthcare facilities. In a similar case in November, a four-month-old boy was rescued from a woman who worked at an IVF centre in Ghaziabad. In April, a 27-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly abducting a newborn from a hospital, suspectedly due to her inability to conceive after seven years of marriage.
