Nagpur woman, doctor, 6 others held for trying to sell her newborn child for Rs 3 lakh

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A woman and seven others, including a doctor, were arrested by the police in Maharashtra's Nagpur city on May 31 for allegedly trying to sell her five-day-old daughter for Rs 3 lakh, an official said.

The woman, Cinderella Mukul Wasnik (21), a resident of the Pachpaoali area of Nagpur, her husband Mukul Suresh Wasnik (23), physician Kalyani David Thomas (48), a resident of Hiwri Nagar who was also a part of the overall plan to sell the baby, and the others were arrested by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the city police, he said.

The official said Cinderella Wasnik and Mukul Wasnik had a love marriage last year.

A few months later, the woman became pregnant, but she did not want to become a mother at a young age. She contacted Dr Thomas who told her she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy (five months) and it would be difficult to abort the child, he said.

The doctor allegedly suggested Cinderella Wasnik to give the child to someone post delivery, the official said.

A total of eight persons, including the couple and the doctor, then devised a plan and decided to earn quick money by selling the newborn child, he said.

Meanwhile, Police Inspector Nanda Mangate of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit received a tip-off about the plan.

She laid a trap and roped in social workers who presented themselves as customers before some of the accused and a deal was fixed to sell the child for Rs 3 lakh, the official said.

The decoy customers asked the accused to come near the Nagpur district collectorate to complete the deal. One of the accused, Hivanka Meshram (52), reached the spot with the five-day-old girl and as soon as she accepted the money, the police caught her, he said.

Except the parents and the doctor, the five other accused were arrested by the police from the spot.

During interrogation, the five accused revealed the names of the girl's parents and Dr Thomas, and the trio was apprehended, he said.

The accused were handed over to the Sadar police which booked them under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, the official said.

All were produced before a local court which remanded them in police custody till June 7.

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