THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Medical College police probing into the alleged attempt to sell a newborn baby at SAT Hospital, has expanded its probe to identify whether the accused have a criminal background.
Meanwhile Binshad and Linette , the two people who were arrested in the case, were remanded in judicial custody by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court - I on Monday. The case was registered after the two-week-old infant’s mother filed a complaint four days ago against the duo. The accused were arrested from a rented house in Kazhakkoottam on Sunday.
The police booked the duo under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those related to committing the offence of human trafficking, fabricating documents, and cheating by impersonation. According to the police, the patient was first admitted to Thycaud Women and Child Hospital, and later shifted to the SAT Hospital following the doctor’s reference.
The baby was born at SAT Hospital on July 27. “From the preliminary inquiry, we came to know that the two women, Linette and the complainant, were friends, and the complainant had informed her about the pregnancy.
Linette had also assured her help during the pregnancy,” said the official, adding that the accused, Linette, has claimed that she was only trying to help her friend. However, the incident took an unexpected turn when the mother refused to hand over the child, leading to an argument between the two at the hospital.
Adding to the suspicion, the investigation also found that the details of the patient and child provided at the two hospitals were wrong. “We suspect a wrong intention behind the move, as the details provided to the hospital were fake. The birth certificate has also been obtained with false information, with Binshad and Linette as the parents.
The police are still investigating if there were any attempts to sell the infant as mentioned in the complaint,” added the official. Following the incident, the mother, an Ernakulam native, and the child sought shelter at a shelter home in Thiruvananthapuram. “The police are probing if they were involved in any offences,” the official said.
