The New Indian Express ·
Hyderabad: Woman held for trying to sell eight-day-old baby
HYDERABAD: LB Nagar police apprehended a 34-year-old woman for allegedly attempting to sell her eight-day-old infant. The woman, identified as Lalmon Khatoon, a labourer from Pahadishareef and a native of Kishanganj in Bihar, approached a man offering to give the newborn for adoption in exchange for cash, police said.
Police received a complaint from 62-year-old Mukhtar Baig on Wednesday. Baig told police that his younger daughter, who is married and unable to conceive, had been seeking to adopt a newborn through legal channels. He had informed neighbours and customers to alert him if they came across any information about a baby available for legal adoption.
On September 7 morning, Khatoon allegedly approached Baig carrying the eight-day-old infant and offered to give the baby for adoption for Rs 1 lakh. Suspicious of the circumstances, Baig refused to accept the baby or pay the money. The following day, around 9.30 pm, she allegedly approached him again with the infant, reducing her demand to Rs 30,000 and saying she urgently needed money for her elder daughter’s marriage.
Her repeated attempts to hand over the baby for money raised Baig’s suspicions that the infant had been illegally procured and was being sold. He refused the offer, informed the police and handed Khatoon and the baby over to LB Nagar police.
Police registered a case under Section 81 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, which deals with the sale and purchase of children.
During the inquiry, police found that Khatoon was the biological mother of the newborn. The details were shared with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for further action, police said.