DCW, police rescue 2.5 month old baby girl who was sold multiple times

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and police on Thursday said they have rescued a two-and-a-half-month-old baby girl from central Delhi's Hauz Qazi area who was sold multiple times.

The girl was first sold by her father since he did not wanted a female child to a woman, who sold the baby to another woman.

On Wednesday night, the DCW received an information from its Mahila Panchayat about a baby girl who had been sold by her own father for Rs 40,000.

The infant's father was made to accompany a DCW team to Jaffrabad, where he had sold his baby to a woman named Manisha, the women's panel said.

The woman was not present at the address.

The baby's father was taken to a police station, where he confessed that he had two daughters and was disappointed to have another girl child, it said.

He did not want to have another girl in the family so he sold her off, the DCW said.

After looking for the baby girl throughout the night at various locations, she was rescued on Thursday morning.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Monika Bhardwaj said, "Our teams conducted raids at multiple locations across Delhi and recovered the child from Hauz Qazi area. She has been handed over to her mother safely."

During further enquiry, it was found that the girl's father had two more daughters who are physically challenged. To get money for their medical expenses, he sold his third child and also expected a better life for the baby girl, the DCP said.

He gave his baby to Manisha, who further sold her to one Sanjay Mittal as they wanted a girl child. Mittal paid Rs 80,000 to Manisha. The transaction was done through two women, Deepa and Manju, who is Mittal's neighbhour, she added.

Four people, including the baby's father, Manju, Mittal and Manisha have been arrested and efforts are being made to nab their associate Deepa, who is absconding, police said.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal said, "We have been tracing the girl since Wednesday late night and have raided several places in an attempt to rescue the infant. The infant was successfully rescued and a big trafficking nexus exposed. The work of Delhi Police on this case is commendable and I thank them for the same."

"The DCW will work on rehabilitation of the infant. The DCW is working 24x7 for safety and security of women and girls in Delhi," she said.