Kottayam baby abduction: Police say accused woman was cheated by partner

The police said that Neethu R Raj, 33, who was arrested for abducting a three-day-old baby from the Kottayam Medical College Hospital on Thursday, January 6, was continuously tortured by her partner Ebrahim Badusha, who was also arrested by police. The Gandhi Nagar Police in Kottayam said that Badusha had cheated Neethu of gold and money worth Rs 30 lakh. He would torture Neethu and her 8-year-old son demanding more money from her. He was arrested under charges of cheating and child abuse.

Neethu was living with Badusha in a house rented by her husband Sudheesh. TNIE reported that she had told neighbours that she owns an IT firm in Infopark and that her husband works on a ship. But the police said that her husband works in a company in the United Arab Emirates.

The police said that Neethu became pregnant and when she became doubtful about Badusha’s commitment, she worked out a plan to steal their baby. Meanwhile, she had a miscarriage but she withheld this information from Badusha and his parents.

In order to keep the relationship going, she went to the Kottayam Medical College Hospital dressed as a nurse and abducted the three-day-old baby. She then clicked pictures of the newborn and informed Badusha and his parents that she had delivered the baby. She also had a video call to them.

An alert auto driver tipped off the police after Neethu called for the auto from a lodge near the hospital. Alex, the auto driver, said, “The woman came out and told me she wanted to go to another hospital. When I asked her if there were other passengers, she said there was a newborn and a small boy. I immediately knew this was the woman who kidnapped the child and I alerted people, and the police were also informed.”

Meanwhile, the Gandhi Nagar Police were widely appreciated for finding the baby within a few hours after it went missing. Gandhinagar Sub Inspector PS Renish named the baby Ajayya after returning her to her mother. There was a small celebration at the police station on Saturday, January 8, organised by the police association.