Bagalkot (Karnataka), June 14 : Karnataka Police have busted a child-lifting racket in the Bagalkot district and arrested four persons in connection with the case. A one-day-old baby girl has been rescued, police said on Saturday.

The main accused has been identified as 24-year-old Sakshi Yadavada, a resident of Khanpete near Ramadurga taluk in Bagalkot district. The arrests were made by the Bagalkot Navanagar police, who are currently investigating the case. The other accused are Sakshi's mother and her two sisters, police added.

According to officials, Sakshi entered the maternity ward of the Bagalkot District Hospital without being admitted and falsely claimed that she had delivered a baby. With the help of the other accused, she abducted a one-day-old baby girl, telling the infant's mother that the baby was being taken away to clear phlegm around 4.30 a.m.

When the baby was not returned, the biological mother and her family confronted the hospital staff. The hospital authorities launched a search on the premises and eventually found the baby with Sakshi in another ward.

After verifying documents, the authorities confirmed that Sakshi had not delivered any baby. The police were immediately called to the hospital. A team led by DySP Mahantesh Jiddi rushed to the scene and interrogated the accused. Sakshi and the other three women were arrested. Even after being caught, Sakshi continued to claim that the baby was hers, police said.

District Hospital surgeon Dr Mahesh Koni stated that the hospital will file a police complaint regarding the incident and also investigate possible negligence by hospital staff.

Bagalkot SP Amarnath Reddy said that one of the accused had posed as a nurse and taken the baby from her mother under the pretext of clearing phlegm. 'We are collecting all relevant information, and CCTV footage from the hospital has been obtained,' he said.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Sakshi had obtained a fake maternity card from a primary health centre and had fabricated the delivery dates. The rescued baby has been reunited with her mother and is currently being monitored in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Police are further probing the involvement of the accused in a larger child-lifting racket.

/IANS