Mangaluru, Apr 22 (DHNS): In a midnight operation, District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) with the help of Childline and Kavoor police have successfully thwarted a couple’s bid to ‘sell’ their 7-day-old daughter for Rs 5,000 to a childless couple in Kavoor Police Station limits in the wee hours of Tuesday.
The incident came to light when DCPU / Childline received a phone call from an anonymous caller that attempts are being made to sell a female baby, born at Government Lady Goschen hospital on April 13, 2015. The baby and her mother were discharged on April 18.
Interestingly, the mother, instead of taking the baby to her home in Kavoor, had given the baby to a couple, in Derebail and went to her home in Kavoor. While the man, who bought the baby works as a JCB driver, the woman is a home maker, informed Usman, the DCPU officer.
The 32-year-old woman, belonging to Scheduled Caste, already has 8 children, the eldest is 17 years old son and the eighth one is just three years old daughter. She delivered her ninth baby on April 13. Her husband is unemployed, while the woman is a daily wage labourer. The couple which bought the baby for Rs 5,000, also belong to SC community and were planning to take the baby to Shivamogga on April 21. Hence, though the DCPU and Childline were planning to raid the home on April 21, decided to raid the house on April 20 midnight.
It was later learnt that they had planned to take the baby at 6 am on April 21. When contacted, Panambur police inspector said that no case has been registered in this regard. The Childline / DCPU will produce the mother and baby before the Chile Welfare Committee (CWC) on April 22. A decision will be taken later, said Renny of Childline.
Admitted to hospital
At present, both the mother and baby have been re-admitted to Lady Goschen hospital as the baby has reportedly developed symptoms of Jaundice.
The couple who bought the baby have reportedly told the Childline / DCPU that they were not aware of rules that taking a baby was an offence.