Unravelling a racket involving the sale of newborn babies, the Mangaluru City South police, in association with members of a Mysuru-based organisation working to prevent human trafficking, recently arrested a person from Mulky on the charges of selling a five-month-old girl child.
Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar identified the accused as Rayan alias Rayone, 30, who manages a chicken shop.
Mr. Kumar told reporters that the helpline run by the Mysuru-based Odanaadi had received information about Rayan’s reported involvement in the sale of newborns to childless couples. Rayan was charging ₹6 lakh for a male child and ₹4 lakh for a female child. Siddhanth, a social worker of Odanaadi, and two of his counterparts acted as prospective parents and Rayan sought an advance of ₹1.5 lakh from them.
A team of Mangaluru South police, led by sub-inspector Sheetal, accompanied the Odanaadi activists and arrested Rayan. On the basis of information divulged by him, the team rescued the five-month-old girl, who had been sold to one Kavitha, who in turn had sold the child to a woman in Karkala of Udupi. The child was sold a few days ago, Mr. Kumar said.
The city police chief said that apart from enquiring into who had paid money to Rayan, the police would also question the child’s parents, who are said to be from Hassan. They are on the lookout for other persons allegedly involved in this racket. A case under Section 370 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered, he said.
Mr. Siddhanth told reporters that there was suspicion about the involvement of an organised gang in the sale of newborns. The accused was approaching those with unwanted pregnancy and offering them money for delivering the child. The prospective buyers were being assured of getting birth certificates in their name and of getting “Taayi card”, which is issued to lactating mothers. “We suspect the involvement of doctors and government staff in this racket,” Mr. Siddhanth said.
