n a swift and coordinated operation, Dhanbad police successfully recovered a newborn stolen from the government-run Shri Nirmal Mahto Memorial College and Hospital (SNMMCH) within 24 hours, providing immense relief to the distraught family and hospital staff.
Four individuals, including a couple from Bhuli, were arrested and sent to judicial custody. Police described the incident as an “inhuman crime” handled with utmost urgency.
During a press briefing at Saraidhela police station, SP (City) Ritvik Srivastava revealed that the crime was pre-planned. The accused allegedly intended to sell the newborn to an infertile couple in exchange for money.
The main accused, Abhilasha Singh and her husband Kaushal Kumar Singh, reportedly enlisted two others to procure a newborn from the hospital. A deal worth Rs 3 lakh was allegedly struck, with Rs 80,000 paid in cash, Rs 70,000 via cheque, and the balance after delivery.
CCTV footage from the hospital proved crucial in the investigation, capturing a woman carrying the newborn out of the premises. The infant was then transported in a white car to a house in the Bhuli area. The vehicle used in the crime has also been seized.
Dhanbad SSP Prabhat Kumar said a special police team was immediately formed following the incident. “This is not a common crime. Within 24 hours, the team cracked the case, arrested all the accused, and safely recovered the newborn,” he stated.
Hospital records indicate that Sarita Devi, a resident of Bhelwe village in Maniadih, delivered a male child on December 24. On Saturday night, a woman posing as hospital staff allegedly took the baby on the pretext of a medical examination and did not return.
