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New Delhi: Days after a seven-month-old baby was allegedly kidnapped from Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) hospital premises in northeast Delhi, hospital authorities on Monday denied any lapse, saying that the child was neither admitted nor undergoing treatment at the facility and no hospital staff was involved the incident.
Police registered a case of kidnapping after receiving complaint by Mohd Shewaaz, 23, alleging that his son had gone missing from the hospital premises. Efforts are underway to trace the infant and the woman suspected of taking the child.
Hospital officials said that no CCTV footage was available of the exact location where the incident allegedly took place. They maintained that the hospital cannot be held responsible as the child and the accused were known to each other and the incident was unrelated to medical services.
Dr Vinod Kumar, medical director of GTB hospital, said there had been no lapse on the part of the institution.
“The hospital only happened to be the scene of the crime. In this case, the complainant and the accused had come together and one of them allegedly went missing with the child. The police are investigating the matter and the hospital is cooperating fully,” Kumar added.
On surveillance coverage, Kumar said the exact spot where the incident took place was not covered by CCTV cameras. “We have CCTV cameras installed at several other locations. The available footage will be provided to the police,” he said.
According to the police complaint, the child’s mother, Nazreen, a resident of Seelampur, became acquainted with an unidentified woman in her neighbourhood about a week ago. Police said the woman had been meeting her regularly during this period.
On Saturday, the two women reportedly travelled together to the hospital. Investigators said Nazreen handed over her son to the woman, while she went inside the hospital to obtain a medical slip. When she returned, the woman and the child were missing.
Police received a PCR call regarding the alleged kidnapping on May 31 and subsequently registered a case. Efforts are underway to identify and trace both the missing child and the woman, police added.
Ridhima Gupta is a health correspondent with Hindustan Times. She covers Delhi's hospitals, government policies and other health topics. She has a keen interest in covering stories with a particular focus on gender and children’s issues.
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