TIRUNELVELI: Police on Saturday rescued a newborn baby girl which went missing at the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TVMCH).
A 37-year-old pregnant woman who had been admitted to the TVMCH last Monday gave birth to a baby girl the next day, which went missing on Thursday.
The hospital lodged a complaint with the TVMCH police. CCTV camera footage showed the baby being handed over by the mother to another lady, Ramalakshmi.
The mother of the missing baby alleged that she had told TVMCH officials that she sought the help of Ramalakshmi as an incidental caretaker and that she had given her child for vaccination. She later complained that her child was stolen as Ramalakshmi did not return.
On Saturday, the Tirunelveli city police rescued the baby from Ramalakshmi and handed the child over to Saranalayam for temporary care.
Police sources said that Ramalakshmi, of Papaiyapuram, near Tirunelveli, claims she had failed to conceive despite being married for more than eight years. She added that she had come to TVMCH for treatment. While in the hospital Ramalakshmi learned that the mother of the baby girl was attempting to place her newborn in the cradle baby scheme. Ramalakshmi claims she told the mother that she had no children and that the mother gave the baby girl to her. Police sources added that further investigations are on.