Doctor who sold babies as "social service" arrested in Pune
Two days ago, a doctor and his wife were nabbed in Kolhapur's Ichalkaranji for selling a baby, but officials suspect the racket goes deeper. The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has information Dr Arun Patil sold at least two more children. Patil claims he did it for "free": he sold babies of single women who couldn't keep them, and paid the mothers the money received.
The doctor was selling babies for Rs. 8-10L
According to reports, Patil targeted unmarried pregnant women who didn't or couldn't keep their babies. He convinced them not to abort, but to sell their children. Dinesh Bari, Kolhapur ASP, said he would sell boys for Rs. 10L and girls for Rs. 8L. He had been running the hospital without any authority for 25 years, said CWC district head Priyadarshni Chorage.
One of his targets was a 16-year-old teenager
One of his latest targets was a pregnant 16-year-old, who was reportedly planning to commit suicide. The couple kept her with them till she gave birth. Her child was sold to a Chattisgarh-based couple, who paid her Rs. 2L. Another child was adopted by a Mumbai-based doctor. The racket came to light after WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi received a tipoff in an anonymous letter.
Doctor denies wrongdoing: "Helping childless couples, uninterested mothers"
Teams of CWC and Central Adoption Resources Authority (CARA) then raided his hospital three days ago. Though Patil admitted the racket, he denied doing anything illegal or wrong. "We're helping people who don't have children, and women who don't want children but are at a stage when abortion isn't possible." He claimed he was doing it "in the interest of society."
Probe on to find who else are involved
Officials are now trying to track the adoptive families in Mumbai and Chattisgarh and the teen mother. More babies are suspected to have been sold by Patil. A case has been filed against the couple for trafficking, cruelty to and sale of children, among others. Dr SM Kodolikar, who used to conduct sonography at the hospital, has also been arrested. Further probe is on.
