22 people who had come in contact with the toddler have been sent to quarantine (File)
An 18-month-old toddler who was reportedly kidnapped and later rescued by a Hyderabad police task force has tested positive for coronavirus.
The toddler tested positive for the deadly virus when he was handed over to the child welfare department after police found out his mother was an alcoholic and not fit to take care of the child.
22 people who had come in contact with the toddler, including policemen and media persons, have been sent to quarantine.
On Wednesday, a missing complaint of the toddler was filed by his mother, a 22-year-old pavement dweller, who said her baby had gone missing while she was asleep.
With the help of CCTV footage, police tracked down the prime suspect, 27-year-old Ibrahim, who was seen to have lured the child with fruits and took him away on his two-wheeler. He had allegedly kidnapped the boy because he wanted a son as they had lost all male children born to his wife due to some illness. The accused has been arrested.
The child was rescued but reunited with her mother for a short while. Police found out the mother was an alcoholic - she had passed out even on the day he was kidnapped - and the baby was subsequently handed over to the child welfare department.
This is when the child was tested and he turned out to be coronavirus positive. NDTV saw video footage that showed the mother, police and others wearing masks, whereas the child was wearing had no nasal cover.
Those who have been sent to quarantine include the mother of the child, the family of the man who kidnapped him, policemen and two journalists.