According to multiple Indian media reports, on September 30, the local police in the state of Maharashtra reported that a pair of parents in Chhatrapati Shivramrao Sudarmengar, India, sold a baby who was only one month old for over 100,000 rupees (approximately 7,000 yuan).
These parents sold their own children in order to maintain a luxurious lifestyle and satisfy their personal desires. Specifically, they wanted to buy mobile phones and gold necklaces for themselves.
Seven people arrested in connection with the crime. NDTV
Surprisingly, before being rescued, the baby went through four transactions and ended up over 550 kilometers away from its original location. The remaining suspects in this case have also been arrested.
The incident was exposed on September 20th, when the mother went to the police station to report that she had been beaten. It was only during the investigation of this report that the police discovered that the parents had sold their son, who was one month old at the time.
"These parents are in a cohabitation relationship and make a living by doing odd jobs. The man is a heavy drinker. They sold their child for 120,000 rupees, then spent 25,000 rupees on two mobile phones, and further spent 62,000 rupees on gold." Local officials explained.
To make ends meet, they sold the baby for 120,000 rupees to an intermediary named Sima Rishwar. Later, Sima resold the baby for 270,000 rupees to Sangita Awad, a woman from Padgorn.
The transaction did not end there. After Sangita took over the baby, she sold him to a suspect named Suresh Gontuka for 350,000 rupees. This fake doctor then handed the baby to Uma Hatkam, who lives in Hyderabad, for another 350,000 rupees.
The baby was eventually sold in Hyderabad. The police rushed to the scene and safely rescued the baby. Currently, arrangements are being made to send the child back to Maharashtra.
The police have arrested 7 people, including the biological parents of the baby, the intermediaries Sima Reeshwar and Sangita Awd of Padgoon, as well as the suspect fake doctor Suresh Gontuka.
The police have filed charges against the baby's biological parents and four intermediaries involved in the transaction, in accordance with relevant legal provisions. They have also seized two expensive new mobile phones and a gold necklace that the parents bought with the money they earned from selling the child.
The police are still conducting further investigations to verify whether a number of intermediaries, including this fake doctor, were also involved in other illegal abortions.
Currently, the baby is placed in an orphanage, and the subsequent disposition will be decided by the local child welfare committee.
