Fake pregnancy ends in theft of baby from hospital, 1 held

A Longing, Deceit And Arrest Police said the woman wanted a baby due to societal pressure

- Hemani Bhandari

NEW DELHI: For nine months, 27-year-old Pooja Devi carried out an elaborate deception. She convinced her husband, her in-laws, and her own family that she was pregnant. She even moved back to her parents' house, claiming she was nearing delivery.

But the charade unravelled on Tuesday, when she stole a day-old infant from the maternity ward of Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital — a baby girl she intended to pass off as her own.

Police said Devi did not use a prosthetic belly to feign pregnancy. Her natural physique, investigators said, was "healthy enough" for her to appear visibly pregnant.

What gave her away, however, was her suspicious behaviour inside the hospital. She was caught on CCTV footage loitering near the neonatal and postnatal care wards, speaking to several women, and keeping her face partially covered with a dupatta.

She was arrested within hours, and the infant safely reunited with her family.