Ranchi, Feb. 23: Happiness of Mohammad Samshad and his better half, Anjuman Ara, knew no bounds this afternoon as they were blessed with a baby boy. But their joy was too ephemeral.

The newborn went missing from Anjuman Islamia Hospital under Lower Bazaar police station within 15 minutes of birth.

The child was the first son and second issue of Samshad and Anjuman, residents of Rishaldar Nagar under Doranda police station.

Samshad, who runs Guddu Electricals at Rajendra Market, has lodged an FIR in this connection at Lower Bazaar police station accusing the hospital management and nurses on duty of “stealing the infant”.

Police have started investigations.

The missing newborn’s grandfather, Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, said her daughter-in-law was admitted to the hospital at 10.30 am and she had normal delivery around 12.45 pm.

“After the delivery, the nurses on duty took the newborn to an incubator. When the baby’s mother wished to see her little son, nurses told her to wait for an hour. But within minutes the nurses raised an alarm saying the newborn was missing,” he said.

Samshad said the child was born healthy. “The weight of the child was 3.5 kg. He was looking healthy. Everyone in the family was happy as a male child was born on Friday. My four-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Fetma Firoz, was eager to see her brother,” he said quoting his mother, Aisha Khatoon.

The news of the incident spread like wildfire in Rishaldar Nagar locality and hundreds of Samshad’s well-wishers assembled outside the hospital. They were demanding immediate arrest of the persons responsible for the incident.

“The nurses must have sold the child in connivance with the hospital management. It is not possible for anyone to kidnap the newborn from the hospital,” said Alam, a neighbour of Samshad.

Anjuman Islamia Hospital is a 150-bed nursing home run by Anjuman Islamia Medical and Social Service Society. The Islamic Development Bank provides financial assistance to the hospital established in May, 2003. It caters the needs of people residing in Hindpiri and its adjacent areas.

Six cases of delivery have been registered today in the hospital.