The Bombay high court on Thursday transferred investigation into the alleged baby theft case, which happened in Nowrosjee Wadia maternity hospital in 2012, from the Bhoiwada police to the crime branch.
A division bench of justices PV Hardas and AS Gadkari was dissatisfied with the investigation being carried out by the police and their inability to get a breakthrough in the case even after two years.
"Accordingly, it directed the joint commissioner of police (crime branch) to assign the investigation to a senior officer from the department," said additional public prosecutor Hitendra Dedhia.
Dedhia added that as for the investigation, a sketch of the suspect was prepared after collecting inputs from patients and hospital staffers who were present at the time of the incident, but the suspect has remained untraceable so far.
As per a petition filed by the mother of the infant, Jasmine Devidas Naik, on October 21, 2012, she was admitted to the hospital in the post-partum ward. The next day, she delivered a boy. On October 24, 2012, a hospital doctor, Tejashree Ghosalkar, advised her to take a small walk in the ward. Hence, Jasmine, taking her mother's help, went for a walk, leaving the child on the bed. When she returned, the baby and the doctor were missing. She inquired around, but to no avail and, hence, she approached the Bhoiwada police and registered a complaint.
Devidas said, "The police are still clueless about the case. We were demanding that the crime branch investigate the case. We are happy that now they will officially investigate the case."
"I lost my Dubai job as they refused to give me more leave. I was needed here in Mumbai to hunt for my child," he added.
Devidas now does some freelance work to meet daily requirements. He is trying all possible means to get his child back, even as Jasmine pines for her baby.
"We avoid going to Wadia hospital. It rakes up memories of my boy. I wish he is safe and the police succeed in finding him," she said.
The Naiks had announced a Rs5 lakh reward for whoever who helped them get their son back and had pasted posters of their boy at various areas in the city, such as railway stations, bus stops and hospitals.
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