Father of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl and his friend were arrested by the police from Sholayur in Attappady on Friday evening for allegedly selling the child to a childless couple at Tripunithura in Ernakulam district for Rs.80,000.
A police team has left for Tripunithura late in the evening to take back the child and to initiate criminal proceedings against the couple.
The accused have been identified as Shamsudheen, father of the child, and his friend John from Kottathara in Attappady, who acted as the middleman.
Shamsudheen, a non-tribal hailing from Alathur, has been living at the Vannamthara tribal settlement in Sholayur for the last four years after marrying a tribal woman, Thulasi. As per a complaint filed by Thulasi, her husband sold their daughter to the couple last week for Rs.80,000.
He paid Rs.20,000 to John and used the rest of the amount to buy a two-wheeler. She said the child was sold without her consent and the lodging of the complaint was delayed due to threats from her husband.
Panel seeks reportMeanwhile, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights registered a case suo motu and sought an immediate report from the District Police Chief. The commission also directed the police to rescue the child and ensure proper rehabilitation of the mother and child. The child is expected to be produced in a court here on Saturday.
