×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Couple, doctor held for stealing baby

Last Updated 29 December 2012, 20:20 IST

 Three people, including a doctor, have been arrested by police for allegedly stealing a newborn baby boy from Vani Vilas hospital recently. 

The arrested have been identified as Prema Mary (30) and her husband Balakumar (29), both residents of Tattaguppe village in Uttarahalli hobli and Dr Prema Nataraju (46), of Jayanagar 8th Block, who runs Prema Nursing Home in the area, police said.

Mary, who had a daughter from her first marriage, subsequently had a tubectomy done. 
In 2003, however, she married Balakumar who expressed a desire to have a boy.

Miscarriage


Mary underwent surgery to reverse tubectomy. But in October, after being pregnant for five months, she sufferred a miscarriage.

The doctors told her that she would not be able to conceive henceforth, a police source said.

Mary did not tell her husband about the miscarriage and pretended to be pregnant by tying bundles of clothing to her belly.

She also struck a deal with Dr Prema who agreed to create fake medical reports to show that she had delivered a baby boy at her nursing home, police added.

Eye on the target

Mary made several visits to Vani Vilas hospital to identify her target for stealing a baby. She decided on Vasantha Manjunath, a resident of Singarahalli village.

Taking Vasantha’s mother into confidence, Mary gave her Rs 500 when Vasantha was asleep on December 21, and sent her outside to bring tea. She then fled with the newborn, police said.

 Dr Prema, who allegedly collected Rs 3,000 from Mary also got Rs 7,900 from Balakumar, claiming that the money was needed for his wife’s treatment.

Arrested

The couple were arrested from Doresanipalya on Bannerghatta Road. Dr Prema N was picked up from her nursing home, according to police.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 29 December 2012, 20:20 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT