Chennai, Oct 8 (IANS): A woman allegedly made away with a newborn baby from a government hospital in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur on Friday, and a search is on for her, police said.

The baby girl was born on Monday at the Government Raja Mirasudar Hospital, Thanjavur. Her mother, Rajalakshmi, told police that a woman had approached her a couple of days before, stating that she was an attendant of a a patient and would help her if she required anything.

On Friday, Rajalakshmi went out of the ward for a short time and when she came back, the child was missing and a search for her throughout the hospital was in vain.

Rajalakshmi then informed her husband Gunasekharan and they lodged a complaint with the Thanjavur West police. When the police went through the CCTV visuals of the hospital they found that the woman who had approached Rajalakshmi offering help was seen moving out of the hospital with two bags, and suspecting that the baby was smuggled out in one of the bags.

A massive hunt has been launched for the woman and the police is circulating a sketch of the accused woman at all bus terminals and railway stations to get the child back and to arrest the culprit.

A couple of months ago, the staff and director of the reputed Madurai-based 'Idayam Trust' were charged and arrested for stealing two children, a baby boy and a girl, of the inmates and selling them at a huge price to childless couples. Director, Sivakumar, and his aide Madarsha have been sent to jail.