Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A couple in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar allegedly sold their one-month-old baby for Rs 1.2 lakh and used the money to buy two expensive mobile phones and a gold chain.
The infant was sold on four occasions thereafter, before being traced to Hyderabad. This led to the bust of a inter-state baby trafficking racket. Seven persons have been arrested in this connection.
The incident first came to light in the Mukundwadi area, where the baby’s parents allegedly handed over the infant to a middlewoman in exchange for money, as reported by News18.
The child was subsequently passed through several people and allegedly sold four times before reaching Hyderabad, the police investigation revealed.
In the first transaction, the parents allegedly sold the baby to one Seema Reshwal for Rs 1.20 lakh.
The mobile phones and gold chain purchased by the couple with this money have been seized by the police.
The police have come to know that Seema then sold the infant to one Sangeeta Awhad, a resident of Padegaon, for Rs 2.70 lakh.
Sangeeta subsequently took the baby to Nanded, where she allegedly handed him over to one Suresh Guntuka, whom police have described as a bogus doctor.
Guntuka then allegedly bought the child for Rs 3.50 lakh. He then handed the baby over to his relative Uma Khatkam, who lives in Hyderabad, for the same amount of Rs 3.50 lakh.
The seven persons arrested include the parents of the child and individuals allegedly involved in the successive transactions. Seema, Sangeeta and Guntuka have been named in the investigation.
The arrested accused are being questioned to establish the complete chain of alleged transactions and determine the role of each person, the police said.
It is also being examined whether the accused may have been involved in other cases involving the illegal sale or transfer of infants.
Efforts are also underway to recover the baby safely from Hyderabad. Further investigation in the matter is underway.