A 36-year-old woman was arrested on Sunday for trying to sell a newborn baby girl, born to a tribal couple living in Kolli hills, to another family.
According to police sources, S Lakshmi, a resident of Karyankattupatti in Vazhavanthinadu atop Kolli hills, who claimed to be a volunteer with an NGO, tried to sell the three-day-old baby to the family of one Malliga, whose brother Gunasekaran wanted a baby boy.
Investigations revealed that Lakshmi had asked Malliga to come over to a predesignated spot to take the baby from her. However, Malliga’s family was reluctant to have the baby since it was a girl.
Lakshmi was caught by police at the Karavalli checkpost following an alert by the driver of a car in which she had hitched a ride.
The baby was handed over to her parents, Vasantha and Ramesh, natives of Seppankulam atop Kolli hills, sources said.
Lakshmi was booked her under section 370 (i) (iv) of (IPC) and was remanded in judicial custody.
However, the police let off Malliga, a resident of Rasipuram, her husband Kulanthaivel and brother Gunasekaran, without registering any case against them.