Baby boy sold for Rs 1.4L, five arrested

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The Chennai police has arrested five persons, including three women, for allegedly “procuring” a new-born baby from Salem and selling it to a family in Ambattur for Rs 1.4 lakh.

The arrested were identified as Chitra of Jnanamurthy Nagar in Ambattur, Sheeba Rajkumari, a nurse in a private hospital in Salem, Pugazh Devi of Salem, Kumar, a security guard at the Salem Government General Hospital and Pazhanivel, a sanitary worker at the Salem hospital.

The sale of the baby boy came to light after 70-year-old Ms Sugunasaraswathi, who had purchased the baby, was found having a verbal duel with Chitra over money.

She had decided to buy the child because her son, who had been married for 10 years, had no children.

“But after taking the baby she found it was premature and had been born with a twin sister, who remained with the mother.

She took it to a doctor, who informed that the baby was very weak and it would be difficult for her to take care of the 25-day-old baby.

She then went back to Chitra and handed back the baby and demanded her money back. That is when the police stepped in,” a police source said.

A team headed by Ambattur Estate inspector Saravanan began the probe and arrested the accused. Sheeba, who was known to Chitra, had convinced Ms Gomathi, mother of the twin children, to part with the baby.

“Gomathi, hailing from a poor family was given Rs 25,000. The rest of the amount was shared among the others,” the police said.

Unfortunately the premature baby did not survive, said the police.