- By Yashashvi Tak
- Wed, 18 Feb 2026 08:23 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A 40-year-old woman allegedly abducted a newborn from the maternity ward of Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital in Delhi’s North Rohini area. The incident came to light on Tuesday morning, following which police registered a case under relevant sections, including kidnapping. Within 12 hours, the infant was rescued and two accused were arrested from the Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Noida.
The accused have been identified as Indu Devi (40), a resident of Siraspur, and her 20-year-old partner, Ahibharan Saxena. According to police, Indu claimed she had married the younger man and wanted to present a newborn to her family and relatives to validate their relationship. To execute the plan, she allegedly befriended the child’s mother inside the hospital before abducting the baby.
Meanwhile, the hospital administration has dismissed two female security guards and a nursing officer over alleged negligence.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Rajiv Ranjan said that Zakir Ali, a resident of Narela, had admitted his wife Shaheen to Ambedkar Hospital on February 12 after she went into labour. She delivered a baby boy on February 14. During her stay in the maternity ward, Indu allegedly befriended Shaheen, claiming that her own sister had delivered a child. She reportedly introduced Shaheen to hospital staff and security personnel as her sister to avoid suspicion.
Zakir Ali told police that on Monday, he noticed Indu sitting on his wife’s bed and questioned her. She reportedly got up and said her “sister” was on the adjacent bed. On Tuesday at around 4 am, Shaheen breastfed the baby. Indu stayed with her in the ward until 5 pm.
Police said Indu never disclosed her true identity. At around 5 pm, she allegedly asked Shaheen to rest and took the baby in her arms. When Zakir returned to the hospital at around 8 pm, Shaheen woke up to find both the infant and the woman missing.
Investigations further revealed that Indu was living separately from her husband, Moti Paswan, in Siraspur, while he resides in Noida. Police said Indu had developed a relationship with Ahibharan, a native of Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, and claimed they had married. To convince her family of their marriage, the duo allegedly conspired to steal a newborn.
Police said Indu had conducted recce of the hospital for several days before targeting Shaheen’s baby. Both accused are currently being questioned as the investigation continues.
"Taking cognizance of this matter, two female security personnel, including a nursing officer, have been terminated. A hospital investigation revealed that the victim had claimed a woman as her sister. She took the newborn with her. Later, she said she wasn't her sister. The same thing happened in the previous case, someone known to the child took the baby away. It's a matter of relief that the children were found in all cases. Security at the hospital has already been increased. Several changes are also being made. Sometimes, women present in emergencies, making it difficult to gather information about their companions. Instructions have also been issued to require attendants to submit their Aadhaar cards," Dr Meenakshi, MD, Ambedkar Hospital, said.