Dhanbad Police Recover Stolen Newborn Within 24 Hours, Arrest Four Accused

Dhanbad: In a swift and coordinated operation, Dhanbad police on Monday recovered a stolen newborn baby within 24 hours of the crime from the govt-run Shri Nirmal Mahto Memorial College and Hospital (SNMMCH). The incident, which triggered panic across the hospital premises, was described by the police as an “inhuman crime”. Four accused, including a couple from Bhuli, have been arrested and sent to judicial custody.Addressing a press conference at the Saraidhela police station, SP (city) Ritvik Srivastava said the infant was recovered from the Bhuli area. According to their investigations, the crime was planned to provide a newborn child to an infertile couple, he said.The main accused, Abhilasha Singh and her husband Kaushal Kumar Singh, residents of Bhuli, allegedly contacted Ishtiyak Ansari and Hasimuddin Ansari to get a newborn baby. The accused couple promised to arrange an infant from the hospital, and police said a deal was struck for Rs 3 lakh, out of which Rs 80,000 was paid in cash, and a cheque of Rs 70,000 was given. The remaining amount was to be paid after the child was delivered.On Saturday night, the accused managed to steal the newborn from SNMMCH. Police said CCTV footage at the hospital played a crucial role in the investigation, clearly showing Abhilasha Singh carrying the baby out of the hospital. The accused later used a white car to transport the infant to a house in the Bhuli area. The police also recovered the vehicle used in the crime. All four accused have been remanded in judicial custody, while the recovered newborn has been safely handed over to his parents.The theft caused widespread panic in the hospital after news of the missing infant spread.Dhanbad SSP Prabhat Kumar said the police took the matter with utmost seriousness immediately after receiving information.“This is not a common crime but an inhuman one. A special team was formed, and I am happy to say that within 24 hours, we not only cracked the case but also arrested all the accused and safely recovered the newborn,” the SSP added.A case was registered in connection with the incident on Sunday at the Saraidhela police station on the complaint of SNMMCH superintendent Dinesh Prasad Gindoria under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).According to hospital records, Sarita Devi, a resident of the Bhelwe village in the Maniadih area, had given birth to a male child on December 24. On Saturday, a woman posing as hospital staff took the baby from the mother’s lap on the pretext of conducting a medical examination. When she did not return for a long time, the distraught mother informed the nursing staff, but her initial pleas were ignored. The seriousness of the situation emerged the next morning, following which hospital authorities alerted the police.