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Bhubaneswar: A day after allegations of child sale rocked Bhubaneswar, Commissionerate Police on Friday arrested three more persons including the 19-day-old infant’s father and two middlemen.
Khandagiri Police earlier rescued the infant within six hours of allegations of child sale surfaced. A person, who reportedly had taken the baby after allegedly paying a sum of Rs 10,000, was arrested yesterday.
All the four persons have been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 370 and 34 and section 81 of the Juvenile Justice Act. However, the child’s father has categorically refuted the allegations that the baby was sold in lieu of money.
“There was no monetary transaction involved,” said the baby’s father.
The person, who reportedly had taken the baby, too clarified that he had taken the child with no ulterior motive. “I have no children for which I adopted the baby with a good intention. I was not aware of the rules,” he said.
The matter came to fore after Childline officials swung into action following reports that the baby was sold for Rs 1.5 lakh.
“The person who took the baby is my friend. As he did not have any child and the lady was not willing to keep her's, I asked my friend to contact the family,” said one of the arrested middlemen.
Earlier, the baby’s mother had revealed that she decided to hand over her child because of poverty and with a hope to ensure a better life for her child. “I do not know the person but handed over the baby as he promised to take care of him. Moreover, he assured to provide my husband a job,” the child’s mother had told yesterday.
Dr. Parshuram Moharana, deputy chairperson CWC said, “At present the baby is undergoing treatment at a hospital. The baby will be eligible for adoption if his mother doesn’t want to take the baby.”
Pranakrushna Rout, Zone-3 ACP informed that preliminary probe reveals that the child was sold for Rs 10,000 on the basis of some court agreement.
“There is a law pertaining to adoption and everything has to be done as per law. But in the case there were deviations and we have arrested four persons,” said Rout.
