Five persons including mother arrested for trying to sell 20-day-old baby in Maharashtra's Thane

Representative Image. Pic/iStock

Police in Maharashtra's Thane has arrested five persons who allegedly tried to sell a 20-day-old boy, officials said.

Those arrested include the mother of the infant and a 61-year-old doctor, Thane Crime Branch Unit I senior inspector Dileep Patil told PTI.

"We received a tip off that a woman doctor from Ulhasnagar was selling infants to needy couples. We verified the tip off through a decoy customer. On May 17, the doctor told the decoy customer there was a 20-day-old boy who he could adopt for Rs 7 lakh," he said.

"She was held while collecting money in her hospital. The other accused include two women from Nashik, a man from Belgaum in Karnataka and the child's mother, who is also from Nashik," Patil said.

They have been charged under Indian Penal Code and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and further probe into the child selling racket and activities of the accused is under way, the official said.

Meanwhile, two Russian nationals, allegedly forced into a sex racket, in Maharashtra's Thane have been rescued by the Police, official said.

Also read: Two Russian nationals allegedly 'forced into sex trade' rescued from Maharashtra's Thane; one person arrested

Thane police's Anti Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) senior inspector Mahesh Patil told PTI that following a tip off about a sex racket being operated in Wagle Estate industrial area, police raided the place.

"The two Russian nationals were rescued from the restaurant. One person has been arrested under Indian Penal Code and Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act provisions," he said.