Days-old baby ‘kidnapped’ from MGMGH, recovered

Trichy: A days-old baby boy was allegedly kidnapped from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial govt hospital (MGMGH) on Saturday morning by a woman who posed as a fellow patient.V Suganya, 30, and her family told reporters that she got admitted to MGMGH on Feb 11 for delivery and gave birth to a baby boy the same day. During her stay in the ward, family members said Suganya befriended another woman who identified herself as ‘Meenakshi,' who claimed to be undergoing treatment at the hospital. On Saturday morning, when the newborn was scheduled for vaccination, the woman allegedly offered help to take the baby herself. Suganya's family says they trusted her, and handed over the infant. However, she failed to return for a long time, after which the family alerted hospital authorities and lodged a complaint with the govt hospital police station. Police examined CCTV footage from various points and zeroed in on a woman. They tracked and secured her within five hours from Thuraiyur, and recovered the baby. Sources said an inquiry was underway at the local police station in Thuraiyur. Meanwhile, TVK chief Vijay hit out at the state govt over the incident. "Robust security arrangements must be immediately put in place in govt hospitals across Tamil Nadu, especially in maternity wards," he wrote on X.