Indian Grandmother arrested for Kidnapping Baby

Police arrested an Indian grandmother for her alleged role in the kidnapping of her own granddaughter.

Four others were arrested on February 15, 2021, for abducting the child from her father at Saheed Laxman Naik Medical College and Hospital (SLNMCH) in Odisha.

Police rescued the child from the Kundra area of Koraput district. The newborn had been missing since February 12, 2021.

The suspects were identified as Basanti Gouda, Tuna Harijan, Hemant Mohuria and Ranjita Mohuria, as well as the baby’s grandmother Gongai Gouda.

Koraput SDPO Gunanidhi Mallik said Damu Singh Gouda had brought his wife Tulasina to SLNMCH after she began experiencing stomach pains.

She was set to give birth but developed complications. She tragically died before she could be admitted to the hospital.

As the newborn could not be fed by her mother, Gongai was asked to admit the baby to the special newborn care unit (SNCU) at the hospital.

Damu was then told by Gongai and other relatives to take his wife’s body back to their native village for the last rites.

Meanwhile, the suspects said they would join him after the baby’s medical examination was complete.

SDPO Mallik said that instead of taking the newborn to the SNCU, Gongai, with the help of Tuna, abducted the baby.

They then handed the child over to Hemant and Ranjita, a childless couple from the village of Singpur.

The suspects claimed that the newborn had gone missing.

Damu took his wife’s body back to their native village. When he returned to the hospital, he discovered that his baby daughter was not in the SNCU.

He and his family members, including the Indian grandmother, filed a police complaint.

Police launched an investigation and upon checking the CCTV footage, they found that Gongai, Basanti and Tuna had handed the child over to Hemant and his wife.

It was discovered that Hemant and his wife had handed the baby to another childless coupe in Kuagam village.

Everyone involved in the conspiracy was arrested and the child was rescued.

District child development officer Rajashri Das handed the child back to her father Damu.

In a similar incident, two grandparents were arrested for selling their baby grandson for Rs. 4 Lakh (£4,500).

They had taken the child to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, Punjab, by claiming it was for a checkup. Upon reaching there, they met a ward attendant and sold the child.

After claiming that the child was kidnapped, an investigation was launched.

Following the investigation, the grandparents were arrested and a child trafficking gang was subsequently discovered.

Seven members of the gang were also arrested.