Doctor sells newborns, nabbed
Patil has also confessed to selling a newborn delivered by a minor mother to a family in Chhattisgarh on December 23, 2017 for Rs 2 lakh.
Mumbai: A 55-year-old homeopath doctor was arrested by the Shivaji Nagar-Kolhapur police station on Tuesday for allegedly selling newborn babies to childless couples from Chhattisgarh, Mumbai and other metro cities.
The incident came to light when a childless couple approached the District Women and Child Officer (DWCO) for adopting a baby without any hassle, stating the doctor would help them in procuring the baby, following which the Central Adoption Resources Authority (CARA) was informed.
According to police sources, Dr Arun Patil would get the babies from widows, rape victims and minors expecting mothers and then sell them to childless couples.
Till now, the sale of two babies has been under scanner after the racket was busted. One was sold to a couple from Mumbai and another to a couple from Chhattisgarh.
Patil is the kingpin of a racket and ran a clinic as a ploy to track those to sell children as well as those willing to buy them for a price.
The police is not revealing the details of the buyers though it said action would be taken against them. The police has detained the doctor’s wife as well to ascertain her role in the alleged sale of the infants.
DWCO Nitin Mhaske said, “We got the information of a couple stating that, they want a baby. We informed them they have to fulfilled all the norms prescribed by the government.” Mhaske said, “ The couple mentioned instead of all these hassles, a doctor will make us baby available, that triggered appoint and we passed the information to police.”
Patil has also confessed to selling a newborn delivered by a minor mother to a family in Chhattisgarh on December 23, 2017 for Rs 2 lakh.
Talking to The Asian Age, Additional Superintendent of Kolhapur Dr Dinesh Bari said, “ Patil sold two babies over the last three months for Rs 2-3 lakhs each. Patil would help widow, minor especially who are unmarried women deliver children.”
Dr Bari said, “ Patil would give them a sufficient amount of cash from the sale to the mothers for keeping their mouth shut. He has also confessed to selling a new-born baby to a couple in Mumbai but has not revealed the details.”
Police said Patil, his wife Ujwala is detained and a couple that took the baby had been booked under relevant sections of IPC and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.