Vijayapura: One-year-old child abducted from district hosp

Team Udayavani, Nov 24, 2024, 1:15 PM IST

In a shocking incident, a one-year-old boy named Sandeep was abducted from the Vijayapura district hospital on Saturday morning by an unidentified individual. The child’s mother, Rameshwari, is inconsolable as police launch a manhunt to locate the missing infant.

Rameshwari, a resident of Mudhol town in Bagalkot district, had arrived in Vijayapura with her two children and mother, Padma Pawar, to visit relatives. Padma, unwell for a few days, was admitted to the district hospital three days ago for treatment.

On Saturday around 10:30 to 11:00 AM, Rameshwari left her son Sandeep with Padma while she went to arrange for a phlegm test for her mother. During this time, Sandeep began crying, and a 10-year-old boy attempted to console him by playing with him. This caught the attention of an unidentified man, who entered the hospital ward, lifted Sandeep, and took him outside under the pretext of calming him.

The man, reportedly intoxicated, had been seen sleeping outside the same ward the previous night, leading others to believe he was a patient’s relative. After Rameshwari returned and found her child missing, she raised an alarm, and hospital authorities immediately notified the police.

CCTV footage from the hospital premises revealed the suspect, wearing a blue T-shirt, walking away with Sandeep in one hand and a bag in the other. The visuals have given the police a crucial lead, and efforts are underway to trace the abductor and rescue the child.

The Gandhi Chowk Police Station has registered a case and is actively investigating the incident. The authorities are analyzing CCTV footage and questioning witnesses to identify the suspect. Meanwhile, Rameshwari and her family remain in distress, praying for Sandeep’s safe return.