TIRUCHY: Two babies, allegedly sold by their birth parents, have been rescued in Tiruchy district and, on Sunday, handed over to government homes under the custody of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
According to police, one baby was sold at the age of just seven days for Rs 3 lakh, while the other was sold at the age of 24 days for Rs 7,000. The shocking incidents came to light months after the babies had been ‘sold’.
In the case of the baby sold for Rs 3 lakh, neighbours of married couple, Ashwini and Govindhan, in Thiruverumbur, reportedly tipped off police after they noticed the couple suddenly had a baby boy. The couple already had two daughters.
Police said inquiry by the child trafficking unit revealed they had bought the baby for Rs 3 lakh three months ago from another couple, who have not been found yet.
The baby and Ashwini were shifted to a home. In the other incident, reported from Uppliyapuram, Dharmaraj and Rani allegedly sold their 24-day-old baby for Rs 7,000 to a relative. The couple are daily wagers who already have two children.
The baby allegedly sold is their third. Police said the couple initially planned to sell the baby to another woman, but then sold it to a relative for the cost of the delivery. The prospective buyer is said to have tipped off the cops. Tiruchy SP Ziaul Hique said police were probing if brokers were involved in either case.