Infant abducted from her house in Dailekh found safe in jungle

SURKHET: A three-month-old baby girl, Shriya Budha, who was allegedly abducted last night from Siradi Gwalipinna in Thantikandh Rural Municipality-1 in western Dailekh, has been found safe.

Police arrested a woman, believed to be around 20 years old, from the Lamidanda forest in Chamunda Bindrasaini Municipality-2 while she was reportedly fleeing with the infant. According to Shyam Aryal, Chief of the Area Police Office, Dullu, the woman has been identified as Sharmila Bista of Sirwal.

“The child is in normal condition. Further details will be revealed after the investigation,” Aryal said.

The baby had been missing since a fire erupted in a haystack near her house at around 9 pm on Thursday.

“Everyone went out to control the fire. When my brother and sister-in-law returned after putting out the fire, the baby was missing,” Deepak Budha, the child’s uncle, said. “We suspect someone used the fire as a distraction and abducted the baby.”

Police started a search operation after the family reported the incident to the Thantikandh Police.

However, the woman has claimed that she did not abduct the baby from the house.

Police say the woman told the locals that three men from Dullu handed the baby to her in the hills above Chamunda and fled.

She has also denied setting fire to the haystack.