COIMBATORE: Passerby at Pappampatti Pirivu were in for a rude shock on Tuesday when they saw two women and a man tugging on a baby beside aw car. Horrified by the sight they called police, upon whose arrival, a child adoption racket was busted.
Coimbatore Rural Police placed the women and the man under arrest on Wednesday after District Child Protection unit members took custody of the 40-day-old baby boy. The roadside scuffle began after the women asked the man for extra cash for the deal, more than the earlier accepted Rs 2.5 lakh as they had brought a boy baby.
“Four months ago, Jahir Hussain (33), Madukkarai union deputy president of an auto driver union affiliated to the DMK, approached Haseena (27), a nurse at a private hospital in Erode, seeking a newborn child,” police said. Hussain allegedly offered her Rs 2.5 lakh and gave Rs 2 lakh as advance. Haseena’s friend Kalyani (35) from Erode, allegedly introduced her to Madurai-based couple Kannan and Jothi. The couple was offered Rs 1 lakh for their baby. Meanwhile, an illegal child adoption racket was busted in Namakkal, and Haseena was arrested in that case. She is suspected to be part of a statewide racket. Recently, Haseena came out on bail and proceeded with the deal she struck with Hussain.
“On Tuesday, Haseena and Kalyani along with the couple and the 40-day-old baby reached Karumathampatti to hand over the baby to Hussain. However, Hussain wanted the child to be tested for HIV infection before he accepted the boy. So the group proceeded to a private hospital in the area, where the doctors refused to perform the test as the group failed to produce a birth certificate,” police added.
Dejected, the whole group got into a car and left the hospital. On the way, the agents allegedly demanded extra money from Hussain as the child they handed was male. “Refusing the new demand, Hussain wheeled the car towards Sulur. Haseena and Kalyani told the child’s parents to get down at Karumathampatti and to wait at the spot,” police said.
The trio continued the journey with the baby and soon a quarrel broke out in the car regarding the extra amount. The agents got out of the car with the baby at Pappampatti Pirivu. Hussain too came out tried to snatch away the baby from them. The onlookers informed police, who soon reached the spot and detained the trio.
Based on a complaint lodged by Buvaneswari, a social worker from District Child Protection Unit, the police booked the trio under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice Act. Speaking to Express, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Karumathampatti) K Balamurugan said that Hussain had wanted to adopt a child and was not himself a tout.
“We have yet to complete an investigation with the Kannan - Jothi. After the preliminary investigation, the three were arrested under sections of 370 (2), 371of IPC and sections 80, 81 and 87 of the Juvenile Justice Act on the complaint lodged by Buvaneswari, a Social Worker of District Child Protection Unit,” he said. The child’s parents have also been booked and an investigation is on.
District Child Protection officer R Sundar told Express that the baby was taken into their custody. “The child was admitted to a government hospital in Coimbatore for health check up.”