Four held over child trafficking in Haveri
The complaint was registered at the Byadgi police station on the basis of a complaint filed by child protection officer of Davangere district TN Kavitha
Four people have been arrested in Haveri district over child trafficking, according to a police officer familiar with the matter.
The accused have been identified as Zaitunabi M of Byadagi Islampura Galli, Kusuma from Balehosur in Saudagara, Lakshmeshwar taluk, and Manjula Dasappa and her husband Rajappa from Doddabhati in Davangere taluk.
The first information report (FIR) was registered at the Byadgi police station on the basis of a complaint filed by child protection officer of Davangere district TN Kavitha.
The officer said that Zaitunabi, a former member of the Byadgi municipal corporation with 40 years of experience in facilitating childbirths, allegedly orchestrated the trafficking of a baby girl born to Kusuma to the couple, Manjula and Rajappa. The case came to light when Kavitha found a four-month-old baby in Manjula and Rajappa’s home in Doddabhati village.
After she filed a complaint, the baby was rescued and handed over to a government adoption agency. Interrogations of the couple revealed Zaitunabi’s involvement and the identification of Kusuma as the child’s biological mother. Fraudulent documents, including a confirmation letter and a birth certificate from the Byadagi Municipality, were recovered by the police.
Haveri district SP Anshukumar said: “Police has registered a case against Zaitunabi, Kusuma, Manjula, and Rajappa under IPC section 370 (child trafficking) and the Juvenile Justice Act. Based on a complaint by the district child protection officer, we registered an FIR on Sunday, and the investigation is ongoing. Whether the mother received money or not and the reasons for the child’s handover will be determined after an initial investigation.”
He said that Kusuma gave birth to a baby girl on January 4 at Zaitunabi’s house. Expressing her wish to not keep the child, Kusuma urged Zaitunabi to help her. She then contacted Manjula, informing her about the availability of the baby. Manjula and Rajappa then went to Zaitunabi’s house to get the baby, he said.
He said that Zaitunabi assured the couple that there would be no legal issues and provided a confirmation letter stating that the child was born to them. She also facilitated the issuance of a birth certificate from the Byadagi municipal council, he added.
