A shocking case of child trafficking has come to light in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where police say a couple sold their barely one-month-old son for Rs 1.2 lakh and used the money to buy expensive smartphones and gold.
What makes the case even more disturbing is what happened after the baby left his parents. According to the police investigation, the infant was passed through several hands, with each transaction allegedly increasing his price, before he eventually ended up in Hyderabad, hundreds of kilometres away from his birthplace.
Police have now arrested seven people in connection with the case and safely recovered the child.
A baby sold to fund a lifestyle
The couple, who were reportedly living together in Mukundwadi, allegedly sold their one-month-old son to an intermediary, Seema Reshwal, for Rs 1.2 lakh.
Police say the money was not used to meet an urgent family need. Instead, the couple allegedly spent it on expensive mobile phones and gold jewellery.
The case came to light after the child’s mother approached the police on September 20 in connection with another incident in which she alleged that she had been assaulted. During the subsequent investigation and questioning, police uncovered the alleged sale of the infant.
The investigation then opened up a much larger interstate trail.
From Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh
According to police, the baby was initially handed over to Seema Reshwal for Rs 1.2 lakh.
Reshwal allegedly sold the child to Sangeeta Avhad, a resident of Padegaon, for Rs 2.7 lakh. Avhad then allegedly handed the baby over to Suresh Guntuka, whom police describe as an alleged fake doctor, for Rs 3.5 lakh.
Guntuka subsequently allegedly transferred the child to his relative, Uma Khatkam, in Hyderabad for the same amount.
Thus, within a short span of time, the one-month-old child had allegedly changed hands multiple times and travelled from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Hyderabad.
Police eventually traced the child and recovered him safely. According to the latest reports, the baby has been placed under the protection of the Child Welfare Committee and a child-care organisation while further proceedings are underway.
Seven arrested as police probe wider racket
Mukundwadi police, led by inspector Vivek Sonawane, have arrested seven people in connection with the alleged child-sale network, including the biological parents, intermediaries Seema Reshwal and Sangeeta Avhad, alleged fake doctor Suresh Guntuka and others.
Police have also reportedly recovered the expensive mobile phones and gold purchased by the parents using the money they allegedly received from the transaction.
Investigators are now examining whether the accused had been involved in similar transactions involving other children.
