A woman was caught red handed while attempting to steal a baby at Dhaka Medical College Hospital today, law enforcers said.

Popy Akhtar, 20, hailing from Shariatpur, almost succeeded in her attempt before vigilant law enforcers detained her from the gates.

Rehana Begum, mother of the one-and-half year old baby, who is staying at the hospital for the past few months for her husband admitted at the burn unit, said she saw the woman yesterday.

"She came to me and tried to chat me up," she told journalists. "Poppy came to me around 3:00pm today. I went to the bathroom to come back both Poppy and my baby missing."

Hearing her hue and cry, all people including security guards started a search. Ansar members detained Popy along with the baby when she was exiting the main gate of the burn unit.

The detainee claimed she was not a thief.

Mozammel Haque, assistant sub-inspector at the DMCH police camp, said Popy was handed over to the Shahbagh Police Station. The baby was returned to the mother.