Mangalore, November 10: Police have registered cases against five persons, including the biological mother of the child for selling an infant to a couple.
Addressing media persons at his office in Mangalore on Saturday, Abhishek Goyal, SP, Dakshina Kannada district, said that Usha (name changed) from Belthangady taluk had delivered a child at Lady Goschen Hospital in Mangalore on April 2. The child was illegitimate and hence Usha had intimated her sister Champa that she does not want to keep the infant with her and accordingly it was given to Pramila and Sukanya, nurses at the hospital who gave it to another lady by name Gulabi. She sold the child to a couple Jayaraj and Rajeevi of Vorkady, Kasaragod.
A complaint had been filed at Venur Police Station from Gram Panchayat with regard to illegal sale of the child. Accordingly, cases have been registered against Usha, Champa, Pramila, Sukanya and Gulabi, and further investigation is in process, Mr. Goyal said.
On a query as to why the police had not filed the case against the Vorkady couple, Mr. Goyal said that the case is still under investigation and right now no action has been taken against them since they claimed that they were not aware of the child's birth and selling being illegal.
The child is now in the custody of Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
Vanitha T, Member, Karnataka Child Rights Commission, said that cases of illegitimate births are on the rise and women must not give scope for illegal pregnancies. She opined that hospitals must take down identity details of pregnant women who come for delivery besides their family background to ensure that illegal sale of infants is checked.
She also said that people wishing to adopt children must take the legal way by approaching adoption homes and other lawful channels and not resort to illegal purchasing of children. In this particular case, the child was sold for Rs. 22,000.
Asha Nayak, Chairperson, CWC, said that there is a provision under law to give back the child to its biological mother. But so far no application has come from her side and hence the child would continue to be in CWC's custody, she said.
When asked if the child can be given back to the Vorkady couple, who had bought the child from Gulabi for adoption, Ms. Nayak said that since the child was sold illegally to the couple, they will have to wait for the CWC procedures to get back the child. The CWC has the right to give away the child for adoption to any parent who applies with them, she said.
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