Udupi: A shocking case of child trafficking surfaced in Kaup taluk, where a couple allegedly purchased a four-day-old baby girl from a private hospital in Mangaluru for Rs 4.5 lakh. Police arrested three people, including a doctor, and discovered that the infant’s biological mother was a 22-year-old rape survivor.The arrested accused were identified as Dr Somesh Solomon, Vijayalakshmi alias Vijaya, and Navaneet Narayan,25. Udupi SP Hariram Shankar said that the case came to light on Aug 21 when a child development project office staffer filed a complaint at the Shirva police station. The complaint pointed out that a baby born on Aug 3 at a private hospital in Mangaluru was being falsely claimed as a biological child by a couple from Kallugudde.Investigations revealed that Prabhavati and her husband Ramesh Moolya, married for several years without children, were seeking to adopt. Through a relative, Priyanka, they met Vijayalakshmi, from Mangaluru, who promised to “arrange” a child. Further inquiry showed that Vijayalakshmi, who runs a hospital canteen and a paying guest facility, had sheltered a woman and her 22-year-old daughter. The daughter, a rape survivor with mental health issues, was four months pregnant at the time, SP said.Police said Dr Somesh, who operates a polyclinic in BC Road, conspired with Vijayalakshmi to sell the newborn. To conceal the crime, the survivor’s medical scans were done using Prabhavati’s Aadhaar card, creating a false record of pregnancy. After a C-section delivery, the baby was handed over to the couple for Rs 4.5 lakh, and the survivor was discharged without proper medical care, the SP said.Navaneet Narayan,25, was arrested on charges of raping the survivor. Police arranged for the survivor’s treatment in hospital, and her statement on the sexual assault has been recorded.The case was registered under Section 81 of the JJ Act, 2016, and Sections 143(4), 61, 64, and 3(5) of the BNS. Police suspect this may not be an isolated incident, as Vijayalakshmi may be part of other such cases.
