DAVANGERE: Members of the district child protection unit and local women police have rescued a two-and-a-half-month-old baby boy allegedly sold here on August 26 by creating fake documents. Eight people, including a gynaecologist, have been arrested in this connection.
The baby of Kavya, a divorcee from Davanagere, was allegedly sold to Jaya and Prashanth Kumar of Vinobhanagar here by Dr Bharathi of MK Memorial Hospital through Vadiraj, Manjamma, Suresh and Ramesh.
The accused have confessed to the crime. They have been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days and the baby has been sent to the local government children’s home, according to sources.
On a tip-off from the child helpline centre, district child protection officer TN Kavitha and her team visited the house of Jaya and Prashanth and demanded that they produce the birth certificate and medical records of the baby.
Kavya decided to sell her baby for Rs 5 lakh due to poverty. Jaya and Prashanth, who were childless, bought the baby through Vadiraj.
Vadiraj, who has close links with Dr Bharathi and Manjula of the hospital, got fake birth certificates. The birth of the baby was registered as August 26 at the Davanagere City Corporation’s office.
Based on a complaint by the unit, a case has been filed under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Child Protection Act 2004.