ERODE: The district police on Sunday, arrested five people, including four female intermediaries, in connection with the sale of a 40-day-old female infant in the district for Rs 4.5 lakh. The suspects were identified as C Santhosh Kumar, (28), R Selvi, (47), A Siddika Banu, (44), S Radha, (39), and G Revathi, (35), of Erode.
Police said, “Nithya, (28), from Thanjavur, came to Erode a few years ago after separating from her husband due to difference in opinion. She used to live near the central bus stand. She was in a relationship with Santosh Kumar and became pregnant.”
Police sources added that Nithya was already acquainted with Selvi, who was running a matrimonial information centre. Unwilling to have a child, Nithya sought Selvi’s help to abort the foetus, but no private hospital agreed to this. Selvi allowed Nithya to stay at her house and took care of her, police sources further said.
In this context, Nithya gave birth to a baby girl at Erode Government Hospital,” police said. “Selvi suggested selling the baby to Nithya, which Nithya and Santhosh Kumar agreed to. Following this, on October 30, they allegedly sold the child to a couple from Nagercoil for Rs 4.5 lakh with help from Selvi, Siddika Banu, Radha and Revathi.”
As Nithya was dissatisfied with the money-sharing agreement they came to, she informed the nurse on duty at the Primary Health Centre in Veerappanchatram about this, on Friday.
The nurse then informed the district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) who filed a complaint in this regard at the Erode North police station on Saturday. “Police conducted an investigation based on the complaint. All the above information came to light during investigation,” police sources added.
Subsequently, police nabbed Santhosh Kumar and four female intermediaries on Saturday night and arrested the five on Sunday evening. “The infant has been rescued and is undergoing treatment at Erode Government Hospital and Nithya is undergoing treatment at Perundurai Government Medical College Hospital. They had sold the child to a childless couple,” a police officer said. G Jawahar, SP of Erode, said, “The couple who bought the child and other intermediaries will also be arrested soon.”