MANDYA: Mandya West police have registered an FIR against former CMC councillor Padma Mohan for brokering the sale of a child.
Padma is accused of selling a five-month-old baby boy of Sowbhagya and Anand, residents of Gangamathastha Street in Malavalli to a Kerala-based couple Usha and Kunchunni for `1.50 lakh. Alleging that Padma violated the adoption rules, Bal Bhavan superintendent Surendra filed a complaint against her.
Background
Sowbhagya and Anand had left their child at Padma’s house where Sowbhagya’s nephew was working as a domestic help. Anand was suffering from tuberculosis.
Usha of Basaralu village in Mandya moved to Kerala after marrying Kunchunni, a teacher and the couple had no children. Usha’s mother Puttalingamma who knew Padma asked her to arrange a child for adoption.
Padma decided to give the five-month-old child to Usha and she discussed the issue with both the parents.
She bought stamp papers of Kerala and Karnataka states and took the signatures of the parents on the papers as an agreement for adoption on January 21.
Padma took `1.50 lakh from Usha and Kunchunni and gave `1 lakh to Sowbhagya and Anand.
After one year, Sowbhagya and Anand approached Padma and demanded their child back. The couple registered a complaint against Padma in Malavalli police station.
Following this, Padma tried to contact Usha in Kerala, but in vain. She allegedly confined Usha’s mother to her house. Usha and Kunchunni who came to know about the incident, came to Mandya along with the child. They showed the agreement documents and told police that they have given `1.50 lakh to Padma. Later, the police handed over the case to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
After discussion, it was decided that the child would stay with the biological parents till the case is resolved.
As the child could not adjust to the new environment in Mandya, the biological parents handed over the child back to the CWC. The child was sent to an adoption centre in Melkote and the Kerala couple approached the CWC, saying that they would adopt the child in a legal way.
They approached a court which agreed to allow the child to stay with the Kerala couple and told them not to leave Mandya.
Bal Bhavan superintendent Surendra filed a complaint against Padma, accusing her of illegal adoption and money transaction. An FIR has been registered against Padma Mohan under IPC Section 370.
Superintendent of Police Bhushan Gulabrao Borase said a case was registered by Surendra at the West police station. The police have registered an FIR and are investigating, he added.