Baby-selling racket: CB-CID Probe reveals sale of 30 newborns

The CB-CID wing of Tamil Nadu police probing a baby-selling racket in Namakkal said Friday buyers as well as middlemen would be brought under the probe ambit, even as the investigation revealed sale of 30 newborns.

"Following the probe done so far, it has emerged that a total of 30 newborns including 24 girls have been sold," a CB-CID release here said.

The release, however, did not mention the period over which the babies were allegedly sold.

A retired nurse and an ambulance driver are among those arrested in connection with the matter.

Widening its probe, the special investigation wing will now bring the parents of the children as well as the 'buyers,' besides middlemen, under the probe ambit, the release said.

Steps have been taken to hold enquiries with parents of the children, the middlemen, as well as those who allegedly "bought" the newborns, it added.

The issue came to light after the police took up the probe into the authenticity of an audio clip where the former nurse is purported to have claimed to have 30 years of experience in "selling" newborns.

The clip went viral, prompting Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Beela Rajesh to instruct the Director of the Health and Rural Welfare department to look into the woman's claim.

In the audio clip, the woman, who took voluntary retirement 10 years ago, is purportedly heard saying she has been "selling" newborns for 30 years and by God's grace, never got into any trouble.

She was accused of being involved in "selling" of newborns in connivance with the hospital staff after she took voluntary retirement.

While the local police initially investigated the case, it was later transferred to the Crime Branch-CID on April 29.