Delhi Police have arrested two women for allegedly kidnapping a four-day-old baby boy from a hospital in Rohini’s Sector 6, revealing that the crime was planned by the infant’s aunt due to a long-standing family grudge.

The case came to light after the baby’s mother lodged a complaint on Wednesday, stating that her newborn son had gone missing from the hospital. A case was registered under Sections 137 (kidnapping) and 140 (kidnapping or abduction for murder or ransom) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the North Rohini Police Station.

CCTV exposes planned kidnapping

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Rajeev Ranjan said CCTV footage played a crucial role in cracking the case. Investigators found that the child’s aunt, Suman Devi — the wife of the child’s maternal uncle — had asked the baby’s mother to hand the infant over to a woman named Pooja Soni, also known as Radha.

“Soni posed as a hospital worker and claimed she would help with the baby’s vaccination,” the DCP said. When the vaccination centre was found shut, Soni allegedly took the child on the pretext of weighing him and fled.

Baby recovered, accused arrested

Suman Devi, a 45-year-old homemaker from Sagar Pur, was apprehended and later confessed to planning the kidnapping with Soni’s help. Police said Soni, a 43-year-old cook and domestic helper from Uttam Nagar, had pretended to be a hospital employee and later handed the baby over to Suman’s 14-year-old daughter at their residence.

Following a raid, the baby was recovered safely from Suman’s house and reunited with his mother.

Motive linked to superstition and family dispute

Police said Suman planned the kidnapping to settle an old grudge with her in-laws, including the child’s mother and maternal grandmother. A senior officer revealed that Suman believed the baby’s mother practised black magic, which she blamed for losing her own children in the past.

Pattern of similar crimes

Police noted that such cases are not isolated. In recent months, newborns have been rescued from kidnappers driven by superstition, infertility, or personal grievances, underscoring the need for stricter hospital security and awareness.

Further investigation in the Rohini case is underway.