Baby-selling racket busted in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi

Mangaluru police have busted a baby-selling racket and arrested a 30-year-old seller. A five-month-old baby girl, that was sold to a woman in Karkala, was also rescued in the joint operation launched with the help of Mysuru-based Odanadi Seva Samsthe and Childline-1098 Dakshina Kannada.

The accused Ryan alias Riona (30), a resident of Mulki, was running a poultry and fancy store besides being involved in sale of babies.

“He was arrested under section 370 (human trafficking) of IPC,” Mangaluru Commissioner of Police N Shashi Kumar told media persons
on Friday.

Preliminary investigation by police revealed that baby boys (infant) were sold for Rs 6 lakh and baby girls were sold for an approximate Rs 4 lakh.

The accused claimed that he had purchased the baby girl for Rs three lakh from her parents in Hassan and had sold it to one Kavitha from Karkala for Rs 4.5 lakh.

Siddhanth P of Odanadi Seva Samsthe said they had received a call, a few days ago, about newborn babies being sold in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

“I succeeded in securing contact number of Ryan. Later, I contacted him and pretending to be a customer placed a request for a baby. Baby girls are sold for Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and baby boys are sold for Rs 5.5 Lakh to Rs 6 Lakh. A token of Rs 1.5 lakh needs to be paid based on the tentative date of birth of the baby,” he said.

Siddhanth said, “We suspect involvement of doctors and officials as well. The arrested had promised to arrange a birth certificate, Thayi card and other documents also.”

“During my conversation with the racketeers, I was told about doctors from Hassan or Shivamogga who facilitate sale of babies. The children could be born out of wedlock or due to unwanted pregnancies. Initially, I was told that a child from Hassan or Shivamogga would be sold to me. But on Thursday the accused had told me that a baby from Bengaluru or Tirupathi would be given to me,” he added.

A team involving Mangaluru South Police Station Sub Inspector Sheetal, Center Coordinator of Childline Deekshith Achrappady, and Siddhanth was formed to crack the case. They met the accused at a hotel near Kadri Park around 3 pm on Thursday and arrested him immediately.