Ludhiana infant sale racket busted: Mother, BAMS doctor among five arrested for selling two-day-old baby for Rs 2.10 lakh
PTC Web Desk: A shocking case of alleged child trafficking has surfaced in Ludhiana after the police arrested five persons, including the newborn girl’s mother and a BAMS practitioner, for allegedly selling a two-day-old baby for Rs 2.10 lakh.
The matter came to light on Sunday afternoon when residents spotted a woman holding a crying newborn at a park on Neela Jhanda Road. The infant’s continuous cries raised suspicion among locals, who began questioning her. The woman allegedly admitted that she had paid money to obtain the child. Residents immediately informed the police.
It is learnt that the baby girl was born on February 13 at a private nursing home near Baba Than Singh Chowk in Ludhiana. She was reportedly handed over just two days after birth. Those taken into custody include the child’s mother, Sunita Devi, a resident of Sherpur Kalan who originally belongs to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. The police said she had four daughters already and allegedly decided to sell the newborn after her husband expressed displeasure over the birth of another girl.
According to Additional DCP-1 Sameer Verma, Sunita Devi allegedly initiated contact with a hospital nurse named Asha to arrange the transaction. Asha then reportedly informed Parveen, who lives in Khud Mohalla and works as a nurse and domestic helper.
The investigation further revealed that Parveen allegedly contacted Gurmeet Kaur, another nurse from Ajitwal village in Moga district. Gurmeet is said to have reached out to an ASHA worker from Amritsar, identified as Pamma, who allegedly had links with medical professionals.
The police said the ASHA worker then informed Manmeet Kaur, a BAMS doctor residing in Punjab Mata Nagar, about the availability of a newborn. When she could not immediately find a prospective buyer, she allegedly approached her neighbour Ruchi, who works as a caretaker and lives near her maternal residence in Mohalla Sant Kabir Nagar.
Ruchi reportedly contacted Mandeep Kaur of Nangal village in Moga district, who had earlier expressed a desire to adopt a child. Mandeep allegedly agreed to pay Rs 2.10 lakh for the infant. Of this amount, Rs 1.5 lakh was to be given to the biological mother, while Rs 60,000 was allegedly meant to be distributed as commission among intermediaries.
On February 15, the accused parties gathered at the park on Neela Jhanda Road to complete the handover. However, the suspicious circumstances and the child’s cries drew public attention.
The police have arrested five accused so far. Officials said the role of the doctor at the nursing home where the child was delivered is also under scrutiny.
The infant has been taken into protective care.
- PTC NEWS
