Babysitter abandons baby, flees with Rs 3 lakh valuables

Police said the incident happened at the house of one Hari, 38, located on Periyar Salai in Ayanavaram. Both Hari and his wife, a software professional, had left for office on Thursday morning after handing over their daughter Kavitha to the newly recruited babysitter, Padma, aged 45.

Police said Padma had approached the couple after seeing an advertisement given by them. She had given a local address, but had told the couple that she hailed from Kumbakonam.

On Thursday afternoon, Hari’s neighbours noticed that Kavitha was crying continuously. When checked, they found only the girl and not the babysitter.

Padma had escaped with 15 sovereigns of gold from the house and left the door open besides abandoning the child, police said.

It was one of the neighbours, who informed Hari about the incident and both the parents rushed back home to console their daughter, who was crying continuously for hours.

The couple later lodged a complaint at the Ayanavaram police station. Based on the complaint, police are searching for the woman.