Bengaluru: Woman psychiatrist arrested for stealing baby

Bengaluru: A woman psychiatrist based in the city here was arrested on Sunday for stealing a newborn baby boy a year ago.

Dr Rashmi Shashikumar stole the baby from the BBMP Hospital in Chamarajpet and handed it over to a Koppal-based couple who had paid her for a surrogate child.

The couple reportedly did not know that Dr Rashmi had stolen the baby.

Dr Rashmi allegedly committed the crime to repay her loans and took Rs 14.5 lakhs from the couple for the baby.

On May 29, 2020, Dr Rashmi stole the baby, born to Husna Banu and Naveed Pasha, from the general ward of the BBMP Hospital.

She pretended to be a medical staff of the hospital and made Husna consume sleeping pills. After Husna fell asleep she picked up the baby and left. Her husband Naveed at that time had gone to drop his sister in law.

Based on the complaint by Husna and Naveed, Chamarajpet police officials started an investigation and created a sketch of Dr Rashmi from the CCTV footages from the hospital.

After questioning more than 500 people, the police finally found the baby at Koppal on May 29 when the couple was preparing their house for the baby’s first birth anniversary.

On May 30, Dr Rashmi was finally arrested.