Childless woman lifts newborn in Tirupur GH; held

COIMBATORE: Tirupur police on Wednesday rescued a newborn baby stolen by a childless woman from an Odia couple in the maternity ward of Tirupur Medical College and Hospital.

The accused, Uma (27), wife of Vijay Anand from Ammapalayam in Tirupur, stole the newborn, as she was childless even a year after marriage. She was arrested from Kallakurichi.

Police said Kamilini (24), wife of Arjun Kumar (26), both hailing from Odisha was employed in a textile firm in K.Ayyampalayam in Palladam. Kamilini had delivered a boy on April 22.

Police said Uma volunteered to help Kamilini and took the baby, faking an examination by doctors on Tuesday afternoon. As she did not return for a long time, the couple had gone in search and couldn’t find Uma anywhere, police said.

On receiving information, Tirupur South police rushed to the spot and scanned images recorded in the CCTV fixed in the hospital. “By tracing the call records, the police picked up Uma from Kallakurichi district on Wednesday morning. She was hiding in the house of a relative in Paranginatham village,” police said.

The rescued baby was admitted to Kallakurichi GH and then brought to Tirupur to be handed over to the parents. This is the second incident as just last month a stolen baby from the Tirupur GH was rescued by police.

Tirupur Medical College and Hospital dean Dr R Murugesan said information boards cautioning on child lifters will be placed in Hindi in the hospital premises as several migrant workers from north India undergo treatment in the maternity ward. “It will also be made mandatory for only the mother to bring the newborn for vaccinations. Also, more cameras will be fixed in the hospital to enhance surveillance,” he added.