The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a petition filed by a couple from Chhattisgarh seeking criminal proceedings against a private hospital in Raipur over allegations of baby swapping immediately after delivery.

 

A Bench of Justice Manoj Kumar and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan was hearing the Special Leave Petition challenging the decision of the Chhattisgarh High Court, which had earlier refused to order the registration of an FIR against the hospital’s director and his wife, who is a gynaecologist at the facility.

 

According to the petitioners, the mother had delivered *twins—a boy and a girl—*at the hospital. However, soon after delivery, the parents claim to have discovered that instead of a boy and a girl, the hospital handed over two girls. Suspicious about the incident, the couple lodged a complaint and subsequently a DNA test was conducted.

 

The DNA test confirmed that one of the baby girls was biologically related to the parents, but the second girl’s DNA did not match that of either parent. On this basis, the petitioners argued that it was a clear case of infant swapping, which ought to have triggered an independent criminal investigation.

 

The Chhattisgarh High Court had earlier dismissed the plea after relying on the report of an Enquiry Committee comprising six medical experts, which ruled out the possibility of foul play. The Committee had concluded that there was no evidence suggesting kidnapping or deliberate swapping of the newborn.

 

However, the petitioners contended before the Supreme Court that the High Court summarily rejected their plea without examining critical aspects, including the DNA mismatch report. They argued that a mere committee report should not override the need for a proper police investigation into such a serious allegation.

 

Taking note of the submissions, the Supreme Court observed that the case required deeper consideration. The Bench has now posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks.

 

The petitioners are seeking directions for the registration of an FIR for kidnapping and related offences against the hospital authorities, stressing that the issue goes beyond their personal grievance and concerns public faith in medical institutions.