A shocking incident from East Delhi has stirred public anger and prompted a police investigation after a hospital cleaning staffer was caught on CCTV allegedly stealing gold jewellery from a woman who had died moments earlier. The incident occurred at a private nursing home in Krishna Nagar and has raised serious questions about security, ethics, and accountability within healthcare facilities.

According to details shared by the police and reported by news agency PTI, the victim’s son, Naveen Kumar Gupta, rushed his ailing mother to the emergency ward of Goyal Hospital on November 11. The elderly woman, who was in critical condition, was immediately placed on oxygen support. Doctors soon advised Gupta to shift her to another hospital for further treatment due to her deteriorating health.

Gupta stepped outside the hospital momentarily to call for an ambulance, trusting that his mother was being attended to inside. The situation took a tragic turn when he returned to find that his mother had passed away. However, grief quickly turned into shock when the family later discovered that the earrings and ear-chain the woman had been wearing were missing.

A video circulated on social media revealed the unsettling truth: a hospital cleaning staffer was seen removing jewellery from the deceased woman’s ears. The video, reportedly from the hospital’s CCTV cameras, appears to show the staffer taking off earrings while the body lay unattended.

Gupta told PTI that when his family confronted the hospital staff about the missing items, they initially denied any knowledge of them. They even suggested that the family check more thoroughly before taking the body. The jewellery was still missing when the family took the woman for her last rites.

Only after completing the cremation did the family return to the hospital and subsequently approach the police. Gupta alleged that there were delays in filing the First Information Report (FIR). While the hospital eventually handed over the earrings worn by the deceased, the ear-chain remains missing. Gupta maintains that the theft is clearly visible in the CCTV footage, identifying the sweeper as the culprit.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam confirmed that a case has been registered under Section 303(2) (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Krishna Nagar police station. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are scrutinizing the available footage and statements to determine accountability.

Officials also verified that while the earrings were recovered, the chain could not be traced. The identity of the staffer and her current employment status at the hospital were not immediately disclosed, but police involvement suggests likely disciplinary and legal consequences.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the conduct of hospital staff, especially in sensitive environments where families are already emotionally vulnerable. Gupta expressed his anguish, saying, “I don’t want anyone to face this when they are already grieving the loss of a loved one.”

The case highlights broader issues surrounding hospital protocols, trust, and the treatment of patients and their families. It serves as a disturbing reminder of how institutions entrusted with care can sometimes become sites of exploitation. As the investigation progresses, the family hopes that justice will be served and that hospitals will take stronger measures to prevent such incidents in the future.