Baby adoption racket busted in Hyderabad, 7 arrested

Hyderabad: Six persons including, an RMP doctor, a pharmacist, the biological parents of the two-month-old child and the couple who adopted the child illegally, were arrested by Rachakonda police after they busted an illegal baby adoption racket.

RMP doctor Shankar, is the in-charge of the Telangana Multi Speciality Hospital in Srinivas. K. Vanitha and K. Jawaharlal who were also arrested are the biological parents of the child while E. Ravi and E. Varalakshmi are the adopted parents.

Shankar and Srinivas used to lure women who came to their hospital for child births to sell their babies. It must be noted that the hospital is surrounded by tribal hamlets, whose residents are a gullible lot. Shankar would conduct gender determination tests on foetuses and reveal the sex of the child. If it was a girl child he would tell the parents that they cannot bring up the children if they are girls, and that they can earn money if they sell the child.

According to LB Nagar DCP Tafseer Iqbal, on November 28, Vanitha W/O Jawaharlal hailing from Sathi tanda in Loyapally village delivered her third girl at the hospital. The couple fell into the trap of Shankar and Srinivas and the deal was settled for Rs 35,000 with the help of a mediator Shanta. Rs. 10000 was paid to the biological parents while Rs. 25000 was shared among the persons involved the racket.

Acting upon a tip off, police raided the hospital and arrested all involved in the illegal adoption business. They were booked under the Prohibition of Illegal Adoption Act and remanded. The baby was shifted to Shishu Vihar.