This is perhaps the most shocking piece of news that you have heard today. The Madhya Pradesh police have busted a "secret baby farm" which was being operated by a private hospital in Gwalior district. The main objective of the farm was to sell and swap unwanted newborn babies for Rs 1 lakh each.
The babies sold at the hospital were mostly born out an illicit relationship, unwed mothers or rape. The hospital named Palash was in Gwalior's Murar area and two newborns were rescued from it at the time of the police raid.
"Three others have been sold to childless couples in Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh", Prateek Kumar, ASP crime branch told TOI on phone.
So far, five people have been booked including the hospital's director TK Gupta, manager and parents who bought babies under sections 370 (buying or disposing of any person as slave), 371 (Habitual dealing in slaves) and 373 (buying minor for the purpose of prostitution).
The police have also arrested manager Arun Bhadoria. "During interrogation he could not give us whereabouts of two babies that were found in the hospital. He said the accused had agents in the Chambal region who used to fetch girls carrying unwanted pregnancies," said the ASP.
There was a whole set up to woo girls to get admitted and get their babies delivered.
"When a girl or her parents approached them for termination of pregnancies, doctors at this hospital used to convince them assuring a safe and secret delivery. Once baby is delivered and mother gets discharged, hospital authorities start hunting for gullible couples who could buy them," said an investigating officer.
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