Seven Arrested in Chennai for Selling Newborn Girl to Andhra Couple for Rs 4 Lakh

Chennai police have rescued a two-day-old baby girl and arrested seven individuals, including the child's mother and a private hospital managing director, for selling the infant to a childless couple from Andhra Pradesh for ₹4 lakh.

The arrested individuals were identified as the baby's mother, 23-year-old Pavithra of Ezhil Nagar; the buyers, Selvarasi, 30, and Gnanasekaran, 35, from Andhra Pradesh; intermediaries Dhanam, 50, Visalakshi, 45, and Aandal, 45; and Dr Rajasekaran, 40, the managing director of the private hospital. Police recovered the infant from the couple in Andhra Pradesh and brought her back to Chennai.

According to police, Pavithra had been struggling to support her family. Her husband, 25-year-old Ganesan, was unemployed and had been lodged in Puzhal prison for over eight months in connection with a criminal case. Pavithra, who already had a son, became pregnant with her second child in December.

Faced with severe financial difficulties, Pavithra shared her situation with her neighbour Dhanam. Dhanam suggested that she could hand over the unborn child to a childless couple in exchange for money. Following the discussion, Dhanam introduced Pavithra to Aandal, a nurse associated with a private hospital.

Police said the intermediaries subsequently negotiated an arrangement to transfer the baby to Selvarasi and Gnanasekaran. The Andhra Pradesh couple agreed to bear all medical expenses and paid ₹4 lakh following the child's birth. Another account indicated that the couple's total expenditure, including pregnancy-related costs, amounted to ₹9 lakh.

Pavithra was later admitted to a private hospital in Villivakkam, where she gave birth to the baby girl on August 18.