Balasore: Police have intensified its search for a missing baby and released a video footage on Friday of the woman who allegedly kidnapped the four-month-old infant on Thursday near the railway station.

The unidentified woman, aged about 40 years, wearing a maroon colour sari, was seen with the kidnapped baby near the railway station around 4.45pm on Thursday. Her picture with the baby was captured in two CCTVs, which were installed at the Balasore railway station. Balasore police suspect that she fled with the baby on a train.

"It is suspected that the woman boarded the train with the baby and moved towards Bengal. The incident took place when the Santragachhi Express was leaving the station. We will be circulating the photographs of the woman across all railway stations and put up her photos at all prominent places in the district," said the deputy superintendent of police Sudarshan Dash.

The missing baby belongs to Aju Dalei, 38, and his wife Gouri Dalei, 30, of Padampur in Chandipur police limits. On Thursday, Gouri and a few members of a self-help group had come to Balasore along with his son. After finishing some work the bank, the group members wanted to have tea at a roadside shop near the Ananada Bazar over bridge.

When Gouri was having tea, a woman offered to help her by taking care of the baby. However, she fled with the baby and Gouri couldn't find them.

After searching all the nearby locations she lodged a complaint with the Sahadevkhunta police. Swinging into action, the police checked all CCTVs footages and identified the woman with the baby. Gouri too identified the woman to whom she had handed over the baby.

"Why she stole the baby is a mystery. It has to be verified if she was a part of a racket. She was speaking in Odia," Dash said.