Newborn stolen from Amritsar hospital rescued within 24 hours

Amritsar Police have rescued a three-day-old newborn boy who was stolen from Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) within 24 hours of the incident, bringing relief to the family while highlighting serious lapses in hospital’s security.

The accused, identified as Jaspreet Kaur, a resident of Batala in Gurdaspur district, has been arrested in this connection. The baby has been safely reunited with the family.

According to police, the incident came to light after Rani Kaur, a resident of Kasel village in Tarn Taran, lodged a complaint at Majitha Road police station. She stated that she had given birth to a baby boy on March 15 and was admitted to the Babe Nanki Mother and Child Health Care Hospital at GNDH.

During her stay, an unidentified woman, aged around 25–30, had been frequenting the ward over the past few days. She interacted with patients and attendants and would often hold newborn babies, thereby gaining their trust.

On March 18, around 1 pm, the woman allegedly took advantage of a brief moment when family members were not present near the patient’s bed. She picked up the newborn under the pretext of taking him to a relative but did not return.

Following the complaint, a case was registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharitya Nayaya Sanhita (BNS), and multiple police teams were formed to trace the suspect.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sirivennela said that CCTV footage from the hospital and technical inputs were analysed to identify and track the accused. Acting swiftly, the police arrested the woman within 24 hours and recovered the infant safely.

Ranjit Singh, SHO of Majitha road police station, said that the accused reportedly did not have a child due to medical reasons and kidnapped the newborn for herself. She is being produced in the local court today.

The successful rescue has brought relief to the family, but the incident has raised concerns regarding security arrangements inside government hospitals. Authorities are expected to review existing protocols to prevent such incidents in the future.