Police learnt of baby-selling racket after apprehending middle-aged Mumbra couple, who had bought the baby
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A couple from Mumbra and two others were arrested by the police for stealing an infant that was barely a few hours old.
On January 25, the Mumbra Police received a tip-off about a couple reaching Prime Criti Care Hospital, near Kausa, on old Mumbai-Pune Road. Accordingly, the police laid a trap near the hospital around 11.10 am. Ten minutes later, the police noticed a middle-aged couple standing near the hospital. When the police apprehended them, they noticed that the duo was holding a baby.
"On questioning them, they told us that they were visiting the hospital to treat the girl. But, when we asked them where the baby had been delivered, they had no answer," said a police officer with the Mumbra Police.
The couple, identified as Mohammed Ayub Mohammed Siddiqui, 53, and Hasina Siddiqui, 49, was then taken to the police station for further inquiry.
During interrogation, Hasina admitted that she had bought the baby girl from a woman named Shabanam Umar Sheikh, 41, in Kausa. A team was sent to the address given by Hasina and Shabanam was detained. "Following investigations, we found that a nurse with a private hospital was also involved in this racket. We will reveal her name after the investigation," said Kishor Pasalkar, senior inspector, Mumbra Police.
"We suspect Shabnam and the nurse are part of a baby-selling racket," he added.
"The baby girl was either stolen or sold just a few hours after she was born. We are checking if any such theft took place in Thane," the officer added. All the accused have been booked under sections 363, 370, 373 and 34 (common intention) of the IPC and relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2015. The accused are in police custody and the baby is being looked after at a children’s home.
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