Tamil Nadu doctor, broker arrested for trafficking of newborns, health minister

TN health minister M Subramanian added that they had received information a week ago about babies being sold and illegal kidney donations

Chennai: A government doctor, A Anuradha, and a tout have been arrested in Namakkal district for selling seven newborn babies across Tamil Nadu to childless couples from those who had more than two children, said state health minister M Subramanian on Monday.

Tiruchengode town police in Namakkal district arrested the 49-year-old doctor and broker T Logammbal, 38, on Sunday night based on a complaint lodged by a couple. (HT Archives)

He added that they had received information a week ago about babies being sold and illegal kidney donations. “District officials have been investigating for the past one week,” the minister said.

Tiruchengode town police arrested the 49-year-old doctor and broker T Logammbal, 38, on Sunday night based on a complaint lodged by a couple S Dinesh and Nagajothi. The woman had her third baby girl on October 12. The couple previously had two daughters. In his complaint, Dinesh said a woman identifying herself as a nurse said she would give them ₹2 lakh if they sell their baby.

Namakkal district superintendent of police S Rajesh Kannan and collector S Uma coordinated a confidential enquiry. “The doctor and the broker have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody,” said a police officer not wishing to be named. “They have admitted that they have sold seven babies. Logammbal has been doing this for several years.”

Officials said that if a mother gives birth for a third time irrespective of whether the infant is a boy or a girl, the two try to entice them with money to sell the baby since these are lower income families who give birth in government hospitals. For boys, they have offered ₹5,000 and for girls ₹3,000, officials said.

“It’s not a case where babies are being stolen and sold but where the poverty of the couple is taken advantage of to convince them to part with their third newborn,” Subramanian said. “This violates the law. There are several steps to be taken to register and legally put up children for adoption. But, none of this was done. They have done this solely for money. Anuradha, the doctor, has been an accomplice because of whom they managed to sell several babies.”

The state is casting a wider net enquiring if this is happening only in Tiruchengode or other hospitals have been involved in a bigger network. “We have also got to know from the arrested two that illegal kidney donations have also happened,” the minister said. “We have formed a committee of top police and health officials to investigate. If more people have been found to be involved, we will take departmental action as well as legal action.”