An infant who came to BC Roy Hospital for treatment in his mother’s arms on Monday morning was allegedly kidnapped by a woman who befriended the young mother posing as a nurse and tricked her into handing the baby to her while the mother went to buy medicines, police said.

The baby was rescued by officers of Uttar Kashipur police station from Bhangar in South 24-Parganas on Monday evening, around 33km from the hospital from where the boy was reported missing.

The alleged kidnapper has been identified by the police as Sabina Bibi.

She had apparently told her neighbours that she was expecting and was going to the hospital for her child’s delivery, the police said.

Around 9am on Monday, the mother, 18, boarded a bus with her six-month-old baby from her maternal home at Uttar Kashipur.

On the bus, an unknown woman befriended her, the police said.

“As there was no seat available, the complainant handed over her baby to the woman. Around 10am, both of them got down at Karunamoyee bus stand and boarded an autorickshaw to reach the hospital at 10.20am,” a police officer said.

The woman continued to assist the mother as the latter was new to the hospital.

Once the baby was treated by the doctor, the woman asked the mother to leave the child with her and go to a store outside to purchase the medicines that the doctor had prescribed, the police said.

Taking this opportunity, the woman allegedly fled with the baby, said an officer.

After the young mother reported the matter to the police outpost at the hospital, a search was launched and officers of the Phoolbagan police station were informed.

The police started scanning CCTV footage of the area and managed to identify the alleged kidnapper carrying the baby.

She was wearing a blue jacket, a police officer, attached to the probe, said.

The photographs and details of the case were circulated across all police stations.

Officers of Uttar Kashipur police station, from where the mother and child had boarded the bus, started searching their area with a photograph of the suspect.

“A shopkeeper identified her and showed the police where she lives. Her neighbours said she was expecting and had returned today with her baby after delivery. The police team raided her home and rescued the child. The woman was arrested,” said an officer of Kolkata Police’s Bhangar division.

Sabina Bibi was handed over to the Phoolbagan police station while the baby was reunited with his mother.

Hospital officials said guardians visiting the hospital should be cautious against handing over their children to strangers.

“We have thought about making announcements in the hospital that no one should hand over their children to strangers. This happened in an OPD where entry of outsiders cannot be restricted. Anyone can come in as a patient’s family member. We are relieved that the child has been found and thank the police for tracking down the baby,” said Dilip Pal, the principal of Dr BC Roy Post Graduate Institution of Paediatric Sciences.

“It is very difficult to find fault with anyone if a mother willingly hands over her child to an unknown person. Yet we will discuss with the police and our hospital security to find out what more can be done to prevent such incidents,” Pal added.