In a harrowing case of infant-selling which has come to the fore from the southern state of Tamil Nadu, retired nursing assistant of a government hospital and her husband, who were operating a racket that involved selling newborns, were arrested on April 25 by the Namakkal police. This came after an audio clip went viral on social media websites where the retired nurse could be heard saying that she has over 30 years of experience in “selling newborns.”
Rates of babies
In the 10-minute-long recorded conversation, 48-year-old Amuthavalli can be heard saying, “The rate depends upon colour and complexion as well as sharp features of a baby as well as whether it is a male or female. If it is male, the rate would be as high as Rs 4.25 lakh, and for a female, Rs 2.70 lakh,” reported The Hindustan Times. In the audio, she can be heard telling the potential buyer that she works with others to procure babies and only gets a small portion of the money. The woman also said that a new birth certificate can be arranged for an extra amount of Rs. 70,000.
Furthermore, she purportedly said, “If the baby has sharp features, the rate might even go up. But, first, you should pay an advance of not less than Rs 30,000 so that I can begin the process. You can pay the remainder when you come here to take the baby.” This conversation reportedly took place on April 23 and by the next day, the recorded conversation was making rounds on social media. It was then that the audio clip came to the notice of the Health Department. After a thorough investigation, Amuthavalli was detained on Thursday morning.
What did the police say?
Namakkal Superintendent of Police Ara Arularasu confirmed the news and told The News Minute, “We have secured her and are investigating what has happened. She claims to have been in this business for 10 years. She retired from the government hospital in 2012. So far, she has admitted that she has been part of three sales. All of them are baby girls. One however she claims was done legally.” However, the SP suspects that there might be a larger network of people who might be involved in the crime.
Recently, in Andhra Pradesh, people allegedly involved in trafficking of children were arrested on April 25. Additionally, three babies, including a month-old girl, were rescued in the state. The problem of child trafficking is magnanimous in India and this is not the first time that an incident like this has come to the fore. The Logical Indian urges the authorities to probe the case to find any other perpetrators if involved.
Also Read: Rescued From A Trafficking Racket At 13; This Girl Has Now Cracked CA Exam Without Help
