Six Arrested In Pune For Selling 40-Day-Old Baby Girl For ₹3.5 Lakh
Six Arrested In Pune For Selling 40-Day-Old Baby Girl For ₹3.5 Lakh
PUNE: Yerawada police have arrested six individuals, including the biological parents of a 40-day-old baby girl, for allegedly selling the child for ₹3.5 lakh in violation of adoption laws. A case has been registered under the Juvenile Justice Act and other relevant sections.
The arrested accused have been identified as Meenal Sapkal (29) and her partner Omkar Sapkal (29) from Bibwewadi; middlemen Sahil Bagwan (27) from Satara, Reshma Pansare (34) and Sachin Awatade (44) from Yerawada; and Deepali Phatangare (32) from Sangamner, who had taken custody of the baby.
The incident came to light on July 2 in the Shastri Nagar area. Police said Meenal, separated from her first husband and mother to a five-year-old son, had been living with Omkar. She gave birth to a baby girl on May 25.
Soon after, Bagwan, Pansare, and Awatade allegedly approached the couple and offered ₹3.5 lakh to hand over the newborn to Phatangare. The baby was transferred to her without following the legal adoption process.
Out of the agreed amount, only ₹2 lakh reportedly reached the parents. Suspecting that the middlemen had withheld a larger share, the couple filed a complaint with Yerawada police on July 2, falsely claiming their baby had been kidnapped.
Investigations revealed the transaction, leading to the arrest of all six individuals. The baby has since been rescued and placed under the care of child welfare authorities.
