Woman caught stealing baby from Odisha hospital, arrested

BARIPADA: Unease prevailed at Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College and Hospital at Baripada in Mayurbhanj district after a woman was caught red-handed while allegedly trying to steal a newborn baby from the maternity ward of the Mother and Child unit on Sunday.

Police arrested the accused woman, identified as Sandhyarani Mohanta (35), rescued the baby boy and handed him over to his mother. Mohanta is a resident of Rasgovindpur village in Moroda, around 30 km from Baripada town.

Sources said Mohanta came to the maternity ward and picked up the newborn when his mother was in the bathroom. She was fleeing with the baby when attendants of other patients caught her. The accused reportedly refused to give the baby back following which tension flared up in the ward.