The police found that the baby — born to a minor who was impregnated by a neighbour — was sold for nearly ₹8.26 lakh.
Published Aug 29, 2023 | 4:37 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 29, 2023 | 5:51 PM
The Peraiyur police travelled around 500 kms taking every hints and traced the newborn in 48 hours
In an unusual chase to trace a newborn that was sold for lakhs of rupees, the Periyaur police in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu followed up on the traces left behind by the culprits from Peraiyur to Bengaluru and rescued the 20-day-old boy.
Unravelling the crime web, the police traced the baby — born to a minor girl — within 48 hours.
According to police, the 16-year-old mother was a Class X dropout residing near Peraiyur who had developed a relationship with her neighbour.
The man impregnated the minor girl on the false promise of marriage. When the parents of the girl came to know about this, the window for abortion had already closed.
The parents decided to make the girl give birth to the child. The girl was taken to the local primary healthcare centre on 7 August, where village nurse Gandhimathi alerted the police.
The Peraiyur police booked the man under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Meanwhile, after the minor girl delivered a boy, they were referred to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on 8 August for further treatment.
On 12 August, the girl, her mother, and the baby left the hospital without intimating the doctors or the hospital authorities. This led the officials of the Government Rajaji Hospital to alert village nurse Gandhimathi.
On 14 August, Gandhimathi visited the girl’s house and noted that the young mother and the newborn were missing.
Upon inquiring with the family members, the nurse felt that something was fishy as they appeared to be lying to her that the mother and baby were sent to her grandmother’s house.
The village nurse subsequently alerted the Peraiyur police.
Acting upon the complaint, the cops picked up the girl’s mother Mariammal (45). During interrogation, Mariammal revealed that the newborn was given to one Sundaralingam, a resident of Meiyanuthampatti.
Considering the future of her daughter, the family members had decided to sell the baby as the man who impregnated the minor was absconding, she said.
The police then detained Sundaralingam for inquiry and found that he had given the baby boy to one Thamaraiselvan, an advocate hailing from Usilampatti, so the baby could be “sold”.
The police also found that the baby was transported to the Erode district, which is nearly 200 km from Usilampatti, and was in the custody of one Karthik, a 28-year-old youth residing in Paliyuthu in Erode.
On the instructions of the district Superintendent of Police (SP) R Shiva Prasad, Peraiyur Circle Inspector (CI) L Mathanakala rushed with her team to Erode and apprehended Karthik.
During the interrogation, Karthik confessed that he had given the newborn to one Karthikeyan (58), who in turn gave the baby to one Srinivasan (38). Both Karthikeyan and Srinivasan belong to Bengaluru.
The police team started their journey from Erode to Bengaluru to trace the child.
In Bengaluru, CI Mathanakala found the duo and learned that they had sold the baby to 36-year-old Tejeswari.
Tracing Tejeswari, the police found that she was residing in an apartment in the Parappana Agrahara area.
Tejeswari, who is working with the Life Insurance Corporation, has a girl child and was longing for a boy. The Peraiyur police found the newborn residing with Tejeswari.
During the inquiry, the police also found that the baby was sold for nearly ₹8.26 lakh.
Mathanakala and her team rescued the baby and secured the culprits, including Tejeswari and returned to Madurai.
Further, the police arrested Mariammal, Karthikeyan, Sundaralingam, Srinivasan and Tejeswari and booked them under Section 370 (whoever imports, exports, removes, buys, sells or disposes of any person as a slave, or accepts, receives or detains against his will any person as a slave) of the IPC and Sections 80 and 81 of Juvenile Justice Act. All five were remanded in judicial custody.
Four persons, including advocate Thamaraiselvan, were absconding and the police are searching for them.
CI Mathanakala told South First that the team took the help of technical assistance and also the advice of the SP.
“Though there were some impediments during the course of the investigation, we were committed to tracing the baby at any cost. At the end of the day, it is the duty that calls,” Mathanakala said.
Speaking to South First, Madurai SP Shiva Prasad lauded the efforts of the Periyaur police and stated that the team had secured the accused and rescued the newborn within 48 hours.