Security nightmares hit Purnia Medical College as two toddlers were kidnapped from a TB patient’s ward in broad daylight. Gudiya Devi, rendered mute and paralyzed by tuberculosis, watched helplessly as her young ones were taken. Admitted nine days ago, her plight worsened Monday when strangers in yellow saris coaxed 4-year-old Shivam and 3-year-old Lakshmi out for snacks—and never returned.
Originally from Mirchaibari in Katihar, Gudiya’s life unraveled post her husband’s demise from TB. Expelled from her marital home, she scraped by in Purnia with odd jobs, then begged after illness struck and rent went unpaid. Street life ended with her collapse, landing her in GMCH’s care alongside kids Shivani (9), Shivam, and Lakshmi.
Shivani’s testimony points to premeditation: the women frequented the ward, mingled casually, and gifted cash earlier, earning the children’s trust. CCTV irrefutably shows them fleeing the hospital gates. Rapid police response from nearby stations has yielded suspect footage from exit routes, fueling a manhunt.
The abduction from a high-traffic hospital underscores systemic failures in monitoring vulnerable areas. As Gudiya sheds wordless tears, the community rallies for justice. Investigations probe child trafficking networks, with calls for round-the-clock surveillance and family escorts in wards. This case demands immediate reforms to prevent future horrors in India’s public health sector.