Raichur witnessed a dramatic late-night incident on Wednesday when an attempted kidnapping of a newborn from the Raichur Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) was thwarted by alert attendants and visitors.
According to police, three individuals, allegedly wearing saris to appear as women, gained access to the maternity ward on the fourth floor in the early hours, when most caretakers were asleep. Taking advantage of the quiet, one of the suspects attempted to abduct a newborn.
However, some attendants became suspicious and confronted the individual. After a brief scuffle, the suspect — identified as Sharanappa, a Managalamukhi (transgender person) from Yaramaras village — was caught and handed over to the Market Yard Police.
The two accomplices reportedly managed to escape during the commotion. Police have launched a manhunt to trace and apprehend them.
Eyewitnesses raised concerns about the absence of home guards at the hospital, which may have allowed the suspects easy entry. The lack of adequate night-time security in sensitive wards like maternity has come under scrutiny following the incident.
An investigation is underway, and the authorities are reviewing hospital security protocols to prevent such incidents in the future.