Maharashtra: 45-day-old girl being sold for Rs 4 lakh rescued by cops in Thane district; four including child's mother held

The baby's mother and three persons met the decoy customer on Tuesday and demanded Rs 4 lakh for the 'deal'. After he handed over the money, police swooped down on them and arrested the accused, an official said

The Thane city police in Maharashtra have prevented the sale of a 45-day-old girl and arrested four persons, including the infant's mother, officials said on Wednesday, reported the PTI.

Acting on inputs, police used a decoy customer to contact the accused who asked him to meet them near a hotel in Kalyan, on the outskirts of Mumbai.

According to the PTI, the baby's mother and three persons met the decoy customer on Tuesday and demanded Rs 4 lakh for the 'deal'. After he handed over the money, police swooped down on them and arrested the four, an official said.

The accused have been identified as Vaishali Kishore Sonawane (35), Deepali Anil Dusing (27), the infant's mother Rekha Balu Sonawane (32), and Kishore Ramesh Sonawane (34). Police said the infant's mother relies on begging to survive, as per the PTI.

The rescued infant and her 5-year-old brother have been sent to a shelter in the Dombivali area, while their two sisters, aged 9 and 7, have been sent to 'Nila Balsadan' at Ambernath, police said.

Police said Rekha's husband left her and married another woman.

Rekha told police that she wanted to sell the infant as she was in dire need of money, the official said, the news agency reported.

Woman commits suicide in Thane; husband held for abetment

Meanwhile, in an another incident, the police have arrested a 30-year-old man hailing from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly abetting his wife's suicide in Thane district, an official said on Wednesday, as per the PTI.

The 23-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her home in Beturkarpada area of Kalyan town on November 9, the official from Mahatma Fule police station said.

As per a police complaint filed by her relative, the woman's husband, native of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, had been harassing her after she was unable to fulfil his demand of Rs 5 lakh and a motorcycle.

Fed up with the constant harassment, the woman ended her life, the official said.

Based on a complaint, the police on Monday registered the FIR against the woman's husband under section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and arrested him on Tuesday, he said. 

(with PTI inputs)

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