THE nine-day-old baby who was abducted in the vicinity of the Rose Hall Market in Berbice two Saturdays ago was yesterday morning found and returned to his parents.According to reports, the baby was given back to his parents at the Whim Police Station, Corentyne where police were taking statements.

A close relative who was at the station told this publication that the child is quite alright and the mother has positively identified him.

The baby was reportedly kidnapped by a woman who goes by the name of Bibi Khan, and is said to be based in Nickerie, Suriname.

On May 29, police had arrested Bibi Khan, a former sales representative of Multi-Technology Vision (MTV Channel 14/65) in connection with the kidnapping of the child, and his parents were taken to the CID Headquarters in the city from Berbice to confirm whether she was the suspect.

However, the parents did not finger Khan of Zeeburg, West Coast Demerara, who was arrested by the police late Wednesday night, along with another person.

According to the baby’s mother, Sandra McLean, called ‘Pinky’, 22, of Number 60 Village, Corentyne, the kidnapper had met her at the hospital where she was admitted to await delivery and cultivated her friendship, expressing an interest in the newborn and giving her $5,000, for the child on each of two separate occasions.

On Saturday May 24, nine days after the boy’s birth, the family was hosting a celebration, and the kidnapper turned up and offered to sponsor part of the festivities.
The mother, together with the baby and the woman, made their way to Rose Hall Market, Corentyne, Berbice, where the kidnapper sent the mother to purchase fish before disappearing with the infant.
The parents who live at Number 60 Village, Corentyne, were left in a frantic state, worrying about the infant’s whereabouts.
His father Ravikant Vistonauth and his mother ‘Pinky’ were distraught.

According to Pinky’s aunt, Radhika DeBarros, a woman named Bibi from the Surinamese border town of Nickerie befriended her niece while she was in hospital awaiting delivery.
“Since then, she has been around to see the baby rather often,” De Barros said, adding, “The woman was nice; I can’t even tell you how this happen.”

On the day of the kidnapping, DeBarros said Pinky had gone to the market in the company of the kidnapper and had asked the woman to keep the child while she went to get something.
“In two minutes, the woman disappeared,” De Barros related, emotionally.

Up to press time, this publication could not get information on where the baby was found and if the kidnapper was caught but more details will be given in a subsequent publication.

(By Asif Hakim)