Auto driver in Hyderabad sold his 18-day-old daughter for Rs 1 lakh

Hyderabad: Within 24 hours of receiving information about the sale of an 18-day-old baby girl, the Bandlaguda police have solved the case and arrested three persons, including the girl’s father, on Friday. The baby was rescued safely and handed over to her mother. Autorickshaw driver Mohammed Asif (43) and his wife Asma Begum (31), residents of Mohammed Nagar in Bandlaguda, had a baby girl in the last week of June. The couple had named her Hafeeza. However, police said Asif, who was facing financial crunch, decided to sell the baby and pay off his debts.

He approached Chand Sultana (55), a resident of Abdullapurmet, and struck a deal for Rs 1 lakh to sell the baby girl. On July 8, Asif told his wife that he was taking the baby to a nearby shop, but a few hours later he returned home alone, leaving the newborn behind. When Asma asked about the baby, Asif gave vague answers. Suspicious of his behaviour, she questioned him and he revealed everything. She approached the police on Thursday itself and lodged a formal complaint,” an official said. Asif was taken into custody and questioned and based on his confession, the middleman Chand Sultana and subsequently the child buyer Minal Saad from Karnataka were arrested. The three were produced in court for judicial custody.