Cuttack, March 10: Police have released photographs of the woman, who stole a one-day-old infant from the SCB Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday.

Yesterday, the cops found the pictures of the woman from the CCTV footage. The face of the woman, who wore a white sari with red border, was quite clear in the footage. She had a dark complexion with healthy body stature and was probably in her late 30s.

"As part of our investigation, we have released the woman's photographs to be distributed in and around the hospital area, especially the slums. We hope to trace her shortly," said Manglabag police station inspector-in-charge Arun Kumar Swain.

The woman, who had posed as an accredited social health activist and volunteered to help the father and aunt of the baby to get him vaccinated, allegedly stolen him on Wednesday afternoon. She later vanished with the baby.

The cops could see the woman holding the baby in the footage of the CCTV installed at indoor wards of the gynaecology and obstetrics department.

The officials are investigating the complaint, lodged by Pabitra Patra of Kankadahad in Dhenkanal district who had visited the hospital along with his wife Pushpa and sister-in-law Hara. Pushpa gave birth to the male child on Tuesday.

When Pushpa was in the ward, Pabitra and Hara wanted to take the baby to the immunisation centre of the hospital in the afternoon. The accused woman took them to the immunisation centre, where the infant was vaccinated for polio. Later, she took them to buy baby food and medicines. She had been with them for nearly an hour between 1pm to 2 pm. Both Pabitra and Hara did not realise when the woman separated herself from them and vanished into the crowd. The police suspect the accused woman could be involved in a similar case that was reported at Manglabag police station on January 8, 2017. In that case, too, an unidentified woman stole a newborn girl child from a couple from Bihar. Investigation is on, but the police are yet to get a clue about the accused.

"As the modus operandi in both the cases was same, we suspect the culprit could be the same woman," a police official said.