CHENNAI: While they managed to crack a baby-lifting case from Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, the police in Chennai have another mystery to solve: who is the 18-month old boy whom they saved from the accused women from Salem? On Tuesday, the team from Chennai managed to trace the two women who had kidnapped the 15-day old child, and arrested them along with a temporary staffer at the Institute of Child Health Hospital for allegedly facilitating the kidnap.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, joint commissioner (North) R Sudhakar said the detailed inquiry that tracked down Manimegalai (29) and Aishwarya (25) from Salem district brought out more shocking information. The 22-year-old mother of the child, also named Manimegalai, had separated from her husband a few months ago because of alleged domestic abuse.
The couple from Cheyyur had a two-and-half year old daughter, and Manimegalai was pregnant again. The pregnant mother and the child stayed in temples at various places. “About three months ago, she visited the children’s hospital in Egmore, where she delivered another girl child 17 days ago. That is when Sumitra (33), a temporary staff, befriended her,” Sudhakar said.
After she delivered the second child, another girl, Manimegalai decided to give it away and discussed it with Sumitra. That is when the accused Manimegalai came in. During their probe, the police found out that the victim knew the accused for more than two months. But she was given wrong names and phone numbers. The accused Manimegalai had been visiting the children’s hospital for over six months, claiming to be an assistant commissioner of police from Salem to some, and an advocate to others.
According to the joint commissioner, the accused offered to get Manimegalai a job at the Government hospital in Madurai, and asked her to have a medical check up. “On September 18, Manimegalai came along with Aishwarya, who was introduced as her sister. There was a one-and-a half year old boy whom she claimed was her son. The victim and her children were taken to the Government hospital in Chennai for a check-up. When Manimegalai went into the hospital with her elder daughter, the suspects escaped with the child to Salem,” the officer added.
When the police team finally traced the women and arrested them from Salem, they found the boy who was seen on CCTV at the hospital. During interrogation, Manimegalai confessed that she had stolen him from a train between Coimbatore and Salem on March 18, 2016. But that information did not help much. According to the officials, the railway police records did not have any child missing complaint in the Coimbatore-Salem sector.
“Now the boy is one-and-a half years old. We are looking for more leads to trace the biological parents of the child,” said Sudhakar. For now, the boy has been admitted to a Government children’s home in the city. “A detailed inquiry can be conducted only after taking custody of the suspect,” said the police officials.
The three women have been arrested and remanded in judicial custody, while the victim Manimegalai, who tried to sell her child out of desperation, is being counselled.