A late-night recovery period for a new mother at a city hospital nearly turned into a nightmare when a woman and a teenage girl allegedly tried to abduct her newborn baby. Thanks to the alertness and presence of mind of the mother’s sister, the attempted abduction was foiled just in time.
The shocking incident took place at HSIS Gosha Hospital in Shivajinagar, exposing serious lapses in the hospital’s security arrangements.
The victim, Asma Banu, a resident of Someshwaranagar in Jayanagar, had given birth to a baby boy on the morning of November 3. Her husband, Imran Khan, works at a mobile service centre. When Asma developed labour pains late on November 2, her younger sister Simran rushed her to Gosha Hospital.
After a normal delivery at around 6:30 a.m., Asma and her baby were shifted to the general ward on the first floor later that day. Simran stayed behind to help her sister recover.
As the night progressed, a woman accompanied by a teenage girl entered the ward and approached Asma. The woman introduced herself as Rafia and appeared to be friendly. She and the girl told Asma they needed to make an urgent call to a family member and requested to use her phone. After dialing a number and claiming that no one answered, they returned the phone and continued chatting with the new mother for a while.
Attempt to abduct the newborn
Later, when Asma went to the washroom with Simran’s help, Rafia allegedly took advantage of the brief absence. She picked up the newborn from the bed and, along with the teenage girl, began walking out of the ward.
However, Simran, who was returning to the ward, noticed the two leaving with the baby and immediately raised an alarm. She rushed towards them, snatched the baby from Rafia’s arms, and confronted the duo.
Hearing the commotion, hospital staff and attendants hurried to the scene and detained the suspects until the police arrived.
Police investigation and arrests
The Commercial Street police were alerted and promptly reached the hospital. They detained Rafia and the teenage girl for questioning.
According to police sources, the teenager is only 13 years old and has been living on the streets, occasionally begging for survival. During interrogation, Rafia allegedly confessed that she is separated from her husband, who has custody of their child. She told police that she had been yearning for a baby and decided to steal one from the hospital.
“Rafia said she met the teenage girl while begging a few days ago and convinced her to help,” a senior police officer said. Rafia, who lives with her brother and does odd jobs, reportedly claimed that she sometimes resorted to begging to make ends meet.
The teenage girl was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and later handed over to her father. Rafia has been remanded to judicial custody, and further investigation is underway to determine if she acted alone or was part of a larger network involved in similar crimes.
Hospital under scrutiny
The attempted abduction has raised serious questions about security lapses at the HSIS Gosha Hospital. Visitors reportedly move in and out of general wards with minimal verification, especially during night hours.
While the hospital staff managed to help prevent the abduction after Simran’s alert, questions are being raised about how outsiders could access the ward so easily. Police have reportedly asked the hospital administration to review surveillance footage and strengthen security protocols, including visitor ID checks and ward monitoring.
Family relieved but shaken
Speaking to local media, Asma’s family expressed relief that the baby was rescued in time but said the experience was deeply traumatic. “It was just a matter of a few seconds. If my sister hadn’t noticed, we would have lost the baby,” said Simran.
The family has urged hospitals to implement tighter security for maternity wards, where new mothers are often vulnerable and recovering from childbirth.
Police continue probe
The police are now probing whether Rafia had targeted other hospitals or if she was part of a gang engaged in child trafficking. “We are verifying her background and checking if similar cases have been reported in nearby hospitals,” said a senior officer.
Investigators have also seized CCTV footage from the hospital and are tracking Rafia’s movements in the days leading up to the incident. The police said more arrests could follow if others are found to be involved.