Vijayawada: Father held for selling 3-month-old girl child; infant sold 7 times

In a nerve-wracking incident in Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh Police busted a human trafficking cartel responsible for selling a three-month-old baby who was sold seven times and between 11 individuals and illegal buyers. One of the perpetrators was identified as Manoj from Gandalayapeta in Mangalagiri of the Guntur district, who already had two daughters in the past before his wife gave birth to the third child. It was brought to the fore that the father was allegedly involved in the illegal sale of children to childless couples and authorities rescued the infant in Eluru in West Godavari after swiping purchasers at Nalgonda, Hyderabad and Vijayawada.

Sources confirmed to Republic TV that the accused was willing to sell the third child as he was displeased at conceiving the third girl child and exchanged his offspring for a sum of Rs 70,000. The complaint was filed by the mother and the grandmother of the child and upon probing the matter, police retrieved the child from Vijayawada and handed her over to the mother. 

Police bust series of sale and resale of girl-child in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana 

Authorities mentioned that the father, despite being prone to vices, held no prior criminal background. After a series of sale and resale instances, the baby was last sold for Rs 2,50,000 before the culprit was nabbed. 

Also, reports suggest that police suspect the case was carried out owing to the father's reluctance toward raising the third 'girl child' for the third time in a row. In the first instance of the illegal sale of his child, the father brokered a deal with residents of Kondaprolu for the consideration of Rs 70,000. A few days later, the said buyer sold the baby to natives of Lambadi Devala Thanda in Palked village for Rs 1,20,000 and the baby girl was further sold for Rs 1,87,000 to buyers in the Dilshuknagar area of Hyderabad. 

Further, the baby was sold to a resident of Narayanaguda in Hyderabad and the child was forwarded to a resident of Vijayawada for the sum of Rs 2 lakh. In the last illegal transaction, the girl child was sold to one Ramesh from Eluru in West Godavari for Rs 2,50,000.