A new-born baby has gone missing from a hospital here on Friday. The baby was born in Lumbini Medical College Prabhash at around midday and it was reported missing at 3pm.

The baby was born to 22-year-old Jamuna Rana of Tansen municipality-9 and it was reportedly stolen by an unidentified woman after some hours it was born, Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office Palpa, Krishna Raj Sapkota, said.

It is said the new mother’s mom had gone to the hospital canteen, holding the new-born, to fetch soup to the new mother. In the canteen, an unidentified woman approached her and said she would help her by holding the baby until she gets the soup. The new mother’s mom agreed and handed the baby to this woman and went to order for the soup.

According to the mom, the woman who was holding the baby said that she would come along to the maternity ward along with her as she fetched soup to her daughter. But the women had vanished with the baby within minutes.

A search was mounted for the woman after the mom reported to everyone around and the hospital authorities that an unidentified woman had stolen a new-born baby. Police is searching for the missing woman and the baby.