Baby sale racket: CB-CID questions Salem GH staff

A team led by DSP Krishnan quizzed them on suspicion that babies born at the GH could have also been sold by the gang, which was led by its alleged kingpin Amuthavalli, a retired nursing assistant.

The surprise inquiry comes after Shanthi, who was working as a nursing assistant at a Primary Health Centre near Sarkar Kollapatty, revealed to have sold several babies from Salem district to childless couples across Tamil Nadu. Acting on her information, the CB-CID sleuths have launched an investigation suspecting the role of GH staff.

The gang had sold around 30 babies, including 24 girls, in the last few years. Police have so far arrested eleven persons, including Amuthavalli, her husband Ravichandran, private hospital nurse Parveen, primary health centre ambulance driver Murugesan and brokers Arusamy and Leela. They arrested Reka, a beautician from Bengaluru, recently for her nexus with the gang.

The babies were reportedly bought from impoverished parents living on the Kollimalai Hills in Namakkal district and sold to childless couples across TN.

Sources said the gang also arranged for birth certificates of babies in connivance with Taluk officials in the name of childless couples. The CB-CID sleuths believe that more persons were involved in the case.