Surat: Panic gripped the New Civil Hospital in Surat just a day before the scheduled visit of the Health Commissioner when a newborn was abducted from the facility late Friday night. Swift police action, including the formation of multiple teams and scrutiny of over 200 CCTV footages, led to the recovery of the infant within 16 hours from Laxminarayan Society in Navagam Dindoli. A woman and her husband have been taken into custody for further interrogation.
According to the police, the incident occurred around 9 PM on March 22, when a 32-year-old woman named Radha Raju Jha allegedly abducted the newborn under the pretext of calming the baby. She took the infant home without raising suspicion. The child had been born to Sandhya Dheeraj Shukla, originally from Bihar, who was admitted to the hospital’s Stem Cell Building. Later, both mother and child were shifted to the second floor, where the newborn was placed inside a glass enclosure. It was from this area that the woman silently slipped away with the infant.
As soon as the theft was reported, a massive investigation was launched under the leadership of DCP Vijay Singh Gurjar. Based on CCTV analysis, the police managed to trace the suspect through an Aadhaar card that was found during the review of footage. The search led them to Laxminarayan Society in Dindoli, where the woman was found with the baby. She confessed during questioning that her fifth child had died during delivery, and following frequent taunts from her husband who allegedly called her a “thief,” she abducted the newborn in an attempt to prove that she could still become a mother.
Further investigation revealed that the woman was previously employed as a security guard at the Civil Hospital but was dismissed for indiscipline. Her familiarity with the hospital premises may have enabled her to navigate through security undetected.
The incident has raised serious concerns about security lapses at the hospital. Authorities are now investigating whether the couple acted alone or if there was a larger conspiracy behind the abduction. As per agency report, the police continue to interrogate the accused to determine if any other individuals were involved.
