Surat : Toddler Goes Missing from New Civil Hospital

Surat, Gujarat : Following a 3-year-old toddler vanishing from the New Civil Hospital (NCH) premises on Tuesday evening, the Surat police department started an intense search campaign. CCTV footage showed the toddler strolling with an unidentified woman, raising questions and prompting quick reaction from top police officials.

The episode started when Rajesh Paul, originally from Uttar Pradesh and now living in Ishwar Nagar, visited the NCH with his family. Working in a powerloom, Rajesh had come to see a relative admitted into the G-1 ward. Shiva, his 3-year-old son, vanished out of sight while playing between the G-1 and F-1 ward lobbies.

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The family explored the hospital grounds desperately but to no use as panic started. Seeking their child, Shiva’s parents went to the security desk of the hospital and asked to check the CCTV footage. But their petition was greeted with a bureaucratic obstacle: the security officer stated they needed permission from the NCH head to view the footage.

Fearing the worst and feeling powerless, the family raised the situation to Harsh Sanghavi, the home minister for Gujarat. The minister’s intervention set off an official reaction quite quickly. Along with Khatodara police workers, senior police officials including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) hurried to the hospital to start a thorough search for the missing youngster.

Police looked into the hospital’s CCTV footage during the inquiry. It showed Shiva accompanied by a woman strolling out the main gate of the hospital. The authorities have concluded from this vital piece of evidence that the child might have been kidnapped.

Currently the main suspect in the case is the unnamed woman shown in the video. The police have ramped up their hunt, sending teams all throughout the city to find Shiva and the culprit. Hospital staff members and local citizens have been advised to provide any anything that can support the inquiry.

Devastated by his son’s untimely death, Rajesh Paul has begged the public for assistance. “We are heartbroken and yearning for any clue leading us to Shiva. Please, if anyone had seen him or the woman on the video, notify the authorities right away,” he asked.

The Surat police department has reassured the public and family that they are doing all in their ability to locate Shiva and return him safely. The episode has also begged issues regarding hospital security systems, which led to a review of practices meant to stop such events in the future.