Two babies stolen by burqa-clad women

Two babies stolen by burqa-clad women

Two babies stolen by burqa-clad women

Two babies were stolen by burqa-clad women at two ends of the city on Friday. A two-month-old boy was stolen from the civic-run VN Desai hospital in Andheri, while his mother brought him and his twin sister for administration of anti-polio drops. A woman disappeared with the boy after taking the baby from his grandmother, saying that his mother, who was on the second floor, had called for him. Meanwhile, at CST, a woman in a burqa befriended a lady and ran off with her eight-day-old baby when the mother went to the toilet.

2-month-old kidnapped from VN Desai Hospital

Civic hospitals in the city just do not seem to care for the safety of their patients. On Friday, a woman in burqa kidnapped a two-month-old boy from VN Desai Hospital in Santa Cruz (East). Police said the boy, Ayushman, is the son of 19-year-old Pooja Mishra, a resident of Santa Cruz (East). Pooja had got doubly lucky on August 14 when she delivered him and a daughter, Kumkum. Around 11.30 am on Friday, Pooja and her mother-in-law, Shyama, took the twins to the hospital for polio vaccination. But the two drops of life cost them all their happiness. The police said Pooja took Kumkum to the second floor of the hospital for vaccination, and left her son with his grandmother on the ground floor. A police officer said: "Shyama noticed a burqa-clad woman roaming around and talking to everyone, giving an impression that she knew them well. This woman came to her and said Pooja had called for Ayushman for the polio drop." Shyama said she did not suspect her and gave her the baby. "The horror unfolded when Pooja returned and her mother-in-law narrated the story. A shocked Pooja revealed she had not sent anyone to get the boy," the officer added. DCP Satyanarayan Chaudhary said both the women frantically searched the entire hospital for the child. "Subsequently, they informed the hospital authorities and the police," Chaudhary added. The family has registered a case at the Vakola police station and police are investigating. "I did not see the woman's face, but I can definitely identify her by her voice," Shyama told DNA. The unidentified woman was captured by the CCTV camera while she was walking out of the hospital, but because her face was covered, her identity remains a mystery. The police said she was not seen with the child, but it is clear she was in haste and she had something in her hand. Pooja was taken ill and was admitted to the same hospital. Shashikant Wadekar, dean of the hospital, said: "The family informed us very late. We immediately closed the gates and searched for the woman. But CCTV footage showed she had left the premises already."

 

'Friendly' woman steals 6-day-old baby at CST

Reshma Shaikh, 31, was happy when she, along with her six-day-old baby, reached the Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) on Thursday night to catch a train to Pune. The journey was supposed to be special for two reasons: first, the baby girl was going to meet her father for the first time; and secondly, Shaikh wanted to use the occasion to kiss and make up with her husband with whom she fought before leaving her home in September. But all the hopes for a happy ending were dashed when her baby was kidnapped at the station. Shaikh, a resident of Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune, said a woman in burqa, who befriended her at the CST station, had stolen the baby. At the station, Shaikh came to know that the next train to Pune would leave on Friday morning. Hence, she decided to spend the night in a waiting room. After a while, a burqa-clad woman entered the retiring room and sat next to her. The woman, who introduced herself as Fatima Khan from Bihar, said she worked as an aaya (maid) in a private hospital. Soon, they became friendly. Both slept there and woke up in the morning. Shaikh said: "I wanted to go to bathroom before boarding the train to Pune. So, I handed over my baby to Khan. When I returned after 15 minutes, I found Khan was missing with the child and my bag." She lodged a complaint with the railway police. The police have registered a case of kidnapping. A inspector said: "Wireless messages containing description of the suspected woman was sent out to all railway police stations and city police stations. We will soon prepare her sketch and release it." Shaikh told the police she had left her home in Pune on September 29 after a fight with her husband, Farooq, a contractor by profession. In Mumbai, Shaikh stayed at a friend's place in South Mumbai. On October 8, she was admitted to St George Hospital, Fort, where she gave birth to a girl. She was discharged from the hospital on October 13 and went back to her friend's place. After spending a day there, she had decided to go back to Pune on Thursday night.