CHENNAI: The Mother of a newborn and three other women were detained by the Kasimedu police on Tuesday in connection with the alleged sale of a one-month-old baby boy to a woman in Erode for Rs 3.8 lakh. Police said efforts are under way to trace the infant.
The action followed a tip-off received by the Kasimedu police, based on which the four women were summoned for questioning. The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is also involved in the inquiry.
According to the police, the infant was born on December 4, 2025, at a government hospital in Kasimedu. The mother, a 25-year-old resident of the locality, already has three children — two sons and a daughter — aged 10, seven and two respectively.
Police said she allegedly decided to sell the newborn due to the family’s poor financial condition and conveyed this decision to others. Three women from Kasimedu, Tondiarpet and Washermenpet allegedly assisted in the crime. Police sources said around four months ago, during a temple visit, the women came into contact with an unidentified woman from Erode district.
According to sources, the woman from Erode expressed her willingness to raise a child if one was available.
Following this, on December 14, the woman from Erode was allegedly brought to Kasimedu, where the infant was sold for Rs 3.8 lakh. Of the total amount, Rs 3 lakh was allegedly given to the child’s mother, while the remaining sum was shared among the three women who facilitated the deal. The matter came to light after relatives noticed that the infant was missing from the house.
Based on information, four women appeared before the police on Tuesday morning and were later produced before the CWC for further proceedings.