UDUPI: Two people, including a doctor, have been arrested in connection with an alleged illegal adoption and baby trafficking case involving a one-month-old girl in Udupi district.
Police said the case came to light on June 19 after an official from the Brahmavar Child Development Project Office (CDPO) alerted the District Child Protection Unit that a couple from Nejaru in Santekatte was raising a one-month-old baby girl without completing any legal adoption procedures.
Following the tip-off, officials from the District Child Protection Unit and the CDPO visited the couple’s residence at Subramanya Nagar in Santekatte. The team found Prakash, his wife Poornima, the infant identified as Shreenika Prakash, and Poornima’s sister Lakshmi at the house. During questioning, the couple allegedly gave inconsistent statements.
Further inquiry revealed that Prakash and Poornima had been married for 11 years and were undergoing treatment for infertility at Kamat Nursing Home in Udupi.
Police said Lakshmi, acting on information from a friend, approached the hospital and requested Dr K Surendra Kamat to provide them with a baby. The accused Dr Kamat handed over a one-month-old girl to the couple about a month ago and also facilitated the issuance of a birth certificate showing them as the child’s parents.
The couple reportedly told officials that they were unaware of the identity of the baby’s biological parents and had no information about the child’s background.
Police said the accused conspired to create forged birth records and parentage documents and illegally transferred the infant for wrongful gain, amounting to baby trafficking. Police have also arrested the kid’s parents - Sampath (22) and Supreethi (22) of Nandalike in Karkatala taluk.
A case has been registered at the Udupi Women’s police station against Dr Kamat and Prakash under Sections 143(4), 61 and 318(2) read with Section 3(5) of the BNS and Section 81 of the Juvenile Justice Act. Police said efforts are underway to apprehend two other accused in the case.