Ballari: Ina shocking incident, a one-and-half-month-old infant was kidnapped in Ballari under the pretext of helping the mother secure a birth certificate. The Ballari police acted swiftly and cracked the case within 24 hours, arresting four accused Shameem, Ismail, Basha, and Basavaraj.

According to police, Sridevi of Benakal village in Ballari taluk had given birth to a baby boy on July 28. Last Friday, she visited the district hospital along with her mother to obtain the child’s birth certificate. At the hospital, she came into contact with Shameem, who introduced herself as someone familiar with the process and offered to take them to the municipal office.

While at the municipal premises, Sridevi’s mother briefly left to use the restroom, leaving the baby in Shameem’s hands. Taking advantage of the situation, Shameem fled with the infant. Despite frantic searches by the family, the baby was not found, forcing them to lo dge a complaint at the Brucepete police station.

Ballari Superintendent of Police Shobharani confirmed that Shameem had handed over the baby to her husband Ismail, who in turn, along with cleric Basha of Toranagallu, sold the child to Basavaraj and his wife a couple who were childless. “Preliminary investigation has revealed that Basavaraj had expressed his desire to adopt or purchase a baby. Motivated by greed, Basha conspired with Shameem and her husband to kidnap the infant and sell it,” SP Shobharani said.

Police traced the culprits based on CCTV footage, which showed Shameem leaving with the baby. A special team quickly followed the leads and managed to rescue the infant safely. “Thanks to timely action, the baby was recovered within a day, and all four accused are now in custody,” an investigating officer said.

Investigations further revealed that Shameem had a prior record. In 2013, she was convicted in a similar case of kidnapping a baby from VIMS Hospital in Ballari.

Police now suspect that her family may have been engaged in repeated child trafficking activities and are expanding their probe.The rescued baby has since been reunited with his mother, bringing relief to the family and villagers alike.