RAWALPINDI: Police on Friday recovered a newborn baby from a hospital five days after the child was kidnapped from the Holy Family Hospital (HFH). The recovered infant had been shifted to the nursery of the Holy Family Hospital, sources said
According to sources, an unidentified woman had left the child at a private hospital in the Dhok Syedan area after she kidnapped the child from the HFH. Soon after the police recover the infant, Provincial Literacy Minister Raja Rashid Hafiz reached the private hospital to the jubilant police team that left no stone unturned to recover the baby after the kidnapping happened.
The minister also awarded New Town Police Station House Officer Inspector Mirza Javed Iqbal and his team Rs0.2 million. The kidnappers had abducted the newborn from the hospital’s nursery while leaving a baby doll in its place. Soon after the abduction, the police examined the CCTV footage of all nearby shops and found a woman riding a rickshaw with the newborn covered in a shawl. The police traced the rickshaw and rickshaw driver, who told the police that he had dropped the woman in Dhok Syedan.
After finding the crucial lead, the police cast the net wide in the area and carried out the search operation. Finally, the police found the baby in a private hospital in the Dhok Syedan area. The hospital management told the police that a woman had left the newborn there before fleeing.
Sources said that an ayah, the rickshaw driver and a family in Dhok Syedan were under investigation in the kidnapping cases. A police officer said further details will be shared after a complete investigation into the matter. He added that the police were also investigating to ascertain if the child had been kidnapped to be sold to the human traffickers.
An official privy to the investigation told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity that the police are investigating the case from different aspects and have got concrete evidence that will help them close in on the suspects. Earlier, the victim’s father, Shahid, had told the media that while he did not suspect any of his acquaintances, the incident had exposed the incompetency of the hospital management.
(Tribune)
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