Four, Including Doctor, Held For Unauthorised Possession Of Baby Girl
Acting on the tipoff, the Child Protection Unit Protection Officer (Non-Institutional Care), along with another Protection Officer and the sector supervisor from the Brahmavar Child Development Project Office, visited the couple's residence on June 19. At the house, officials found Poornima, Prakash, the one-month-old baby girl, and Poornima's sister. During questioning, the accused allegedly gave suspicious and inconsistent statements
Udupi: Udupi police have arrested four persons, including a senior doctor, in connection with the alleged unauthorised transfer of a one-month-old baby girl and the creation of documents to facilitate it.
The Child Protection Officer received information from the Brahmavar CDPO that a couple, Prakash and his wife Poornima, residing at Santhekatte near Nejaru in Udupi taluk, had been raising an infant allegedly obtained through unauthorised means.
Acting on the information, the Child Protection Officer (Non-Institutional Care), along with another Protection Officer and the sector supervisor from the Brahmavar Child Development Project Office, visited the couple's residence on June 19. At the house, officials found Poornima, Prakash, the one-month-old baby girl, and Poornima's sister. During questioning, the accused allegedly gave suspicious and inconsistent statements.
On detailed inquiry, it was revealed that Prakash and Poornima had been married for 11 years but had no children. They had been undergoing treatment at a Nursing Home in Udupi for infertility-related issues.
During this period, the couple allegedly came to know about a baby at Kamath Nursing Home. The couple allegedly visited the nursing home and requested the doctor, Dr K Surendra Kamath, to give them the child.
According to the complaint, Dr Surendra Kamath allegedly agreed to the request and, about a month ago, handed over the baby girl to Prakash and Poornima. It is further alleged that he facilitated the issuance of the child's birth certificate.
The child's birth certificate was obtained from the Udupi City Municipal Council.
Officials suspect that fake records relating to the child's birth and parentage were created as part of a conspiracy to facilitate the illegal transfer of the infant.
A case was registered at the Women's Police Station in Udupi based on a complaint filed by the Child Protection Unit, under Sections 143(4), 61, 318(2) read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 81 of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act.
“We have arrested Dr K Surendra Kamath (76) and S Prakash (50). We have also arrested Sampath and Supreethi, the biological parents of the child who sold the baby. The investigation will ascertain how much money changed hands and how the birth certificate and other documents showing a delivery were obtained despite no delivery having taken place,” Udupi SP Hariram Shankar said.
Police said efforts were underway to trace and arrest two other accused in the case.
