KARACHI, Nov 13: Police recovered a newborn boy kidnapped from the National Institute of Child Health on Nov 4 and arrested a trainee nurse of the NICH and a couple on Sunday.

When the child was reunited with his parents after more than a week's agonising moments, their joy knew no bounds as the mother repeatedly kissed and hugged the baby.

Police said the trainee nurse took away the newborn boy from the NICH and sold him for Rs30,000 to a childless couple. “The couple wanted a newborn child so the [trainee] nurse picked up a boy who was brought to the NICH following his birth at the gynaecology ward of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and handed him over to the couple,” said SSP-South Naeem Ahmed Shaikh.

The SSP told Dawn that the police found a lead after repeatedly examining the CCTV footage. “With the help of the footage we finally identified a trainee nurse, named Sobia. We kept her under strict surveillance and on Sunday we questioned her and she finally disclosed that she had handed over the newborn boy to a couple.”

Following her disclosure, the police carried out a raid at the Model Colony residence of the couple and seized the newborn boy.

The police arrested the trainee nurse and the couple, identified as Akbar and his wife Farzana. All the three lived in Model Colony.

The police said they were looking also for a woman who had acted as a go-between.

Moving scenes were witnessed when the newborn boy was handed over to his father at the Saddar police station.

The involvement of a trainee nurse in the heinous crime strengthened the view of the police that it was an inside job. The nursing staff at the NICH had staged a protest when the police tried to question some staff members.

When the newborn boy disappeared from the health facility, the police were told that the nurse on duty had gone out to offer prayers and the doctor concerned was on a routine round.

The father of the kidnapped boy, Rahib Ali, had blamed the hospital administration for the disappearance of his child and threatened to lodge an FIR against the NICH staff for the incident.

However, he lodged a case (FIR 338/2011) under Section 363 (punishment for kidnapping) of the Pakistan Penal Code against unknown suspects at the Saddar police station.

Meanwhile, Sindh Health Minister Dr Saghir Ahmed thanked the police and the management and staff of the NICH for their help in the safe recovery of the newborn.

He also appreciated the patience and cooperation of the parents.