COIMBATORE: Child Welfare Committee members in Salem, who questioned a man who tried to sell his 15-day-old girl child for Rs one lakh, were in for a shock after learning that he had already sold three other babies for the same amount.

Following this, the police arrested the man, Settu (25), a daily wager from Chittoor village in Edappadi, and two middlemen, Munusamy (46) and Senthil Murugan (46), on Wednesday.

The trio tried to sell the child, Settu’s sixth, to Devendran from Kumaparapalayam in Namakkal, who tipped off the Child Welfare Committee in Salem. The officials quizzed Settu and two brokers, which revealed that he had already sold three children, two boys and a girl, for Rs one lakh each to childless couples across the State.

He married Gundumalli seven years ago, police said, adding that a detailed investigation is on to unearth the baby selling racket and to trace the kids already sold.