Four arrested in baby swap case

HYDERABAD: The exchange of Latha’s and Mehmooda Begum’s babies in the cradle at the nursery of the Government Maternity Hospital, Nayapul, could have taken place on April 17 and could have gone unnoticed on purpose or by accident.
“We are not ruling out anything and the case is still open,’’ police officials investigating the case told The Times of India on Tuesday.
Additional commissioner of police A K Khan said they made four arrests on Tuesday including two nurses, Suryakala, Suvarna Mary, sweeper Rajender also known as Raju and Mehmooda Begum’s husband Sheikh Nazeer.
They have been charged under sections 336, 167, 201, 419 of the Indian Penal Code for cheating, alteration of documents and injury, Khan said. “Section 336 has been applied for rash and negligent behaviour which involves and affects the life of a female infant.’’
According to the conclusion arrived at by the police that the babies were exchanged in their cradle on April 17, the change could not have possibly gone unnoticed as the babies have a tag referring them to the mother they belong to. “So unless the tag has been removed on purpose, exchanged on purpose or they fall off by callousness and sheer negligence, the babies could not have been exchanged or swapped,’’ sources said.
And this, they said, could be found out only if the nurses speak up. It is not just the nurses who are keeping an annoying silence, it is Mehmooda Begum and her husband too.
The police is looking into why Latha did not get to see her baby much when he was placed in the nursery. “Or was she not allowed to. We do not know what exactly happened in those four days. We can only guess, unless the nurses tell us what happened,’’ they said.
Though the police have not found any exchange of money they are not taking chances and not ruling out anything. “A detailed probe on the possibility of involvement of other people and suspected underhand dealings in the exchange of babies at the hospital is also on,’’ Khan said. The police say they are willing to keep the identity of those who give information confidential.
Meanwhile, the arrested were produced in a local court and were remanded to two weeks of judicial custody.