An eight-month-old baby boy was allegedly kidnapped by an unidentified woman from a lodge in Chotila town in adjoining Surendranagar district early this morning, police said.
The boy's father Vimal Jethva and mother Kanchan filed a complaint with police, who have launched a search for the kidnapper based on the CCTV footage obtained from the lodge.
Chotila, a famous pilgrimage town, is 45km from Rajkot and witnesses huge rush during Diwali. The Rajkot-based Jethva family came to the town yesterday to visit the famous temple of Goddess Chamunda and were staying at a lodge.
Since the lodge was overcrowded, the couple was given a place in the lobby, where many others were also sleeping. The couple kept their son Yug in a nearby cradle and went to sleep. At around 5 AM, when the mother didn't notice any movement, she checked the cradle and found that the baby was not there," said Police Sub-Inspector of Chotila P G Gohil.
"When the lodge management checked the CCTV footage of the lobby as well as of entrance, they saw a woman, clad in a sari, lifting the child from the cradle and swiftly going out at 3.51 AM when everyone was fast asleep.
"Based on that CCTV footage, we have started searching for the woman. We have also cordoned off all exit points of the town," said Gohil.
