Probe into sale of newborns by nurse transferred to CB-CID

The probe into stealing and selling of newborns allegedly by a retired government nurse in Namakkal district has been transferred to the CB-CID wing, police said Monday.

The nurse had allegedly been stealing and selling newborns for 30 years. The retired nurse, her husband and an ambulance driver besides some others have already been arrested in this case.

Director General of Police (DGP) T K Rajendran has issued orders transferring the probe into the case to the Crime Branch-CID, the specialised investigation wing of the state police.

Earlier, the issue came to light after an audio clip of a conversation went viral, where Amutha is purportedly admitting that she was involved in this racket for 30 years.

The issue had created a furore in the state.

After the audio clip went viral, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Beela Rajesh had instructed the director of the Health and Rural Welfare Department to look into the claim.

In the clip, the nurse purportedly said she had sold newborn girls for Rs 2.75 lakh and if the babies were fair and good looking, they were sold for Rs three lakh.

Newborn boys were sold for Rs three lakh and if they were handsome, for Rs 3.75 lakh to Rs four lakh, she had said in the clipping, recorded by a "prospective client".

The woman had also said in the clip that she even arranged for a birth certificate if an extra Rs 70,000 was paid.

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