Police investigations into the kidnapping unearthed a larger gang operating a baby sale racket. They have arrested seven people, who allegedly sold nine babies.
Bengaluru: A cancelled infant sale deal was behind the kidnapping of an 11-month-old boy that the Tumakuru police cracked down last week, police investigations have revealed.
Police investigations into the kidnapping unearthed a larger gang operating a baby sale racket. They have arrested seven people, who allegedly sold nine babies. The Gubbi police identified the ringleaders of the operation as Mahesh UD and Mehboob Sharif
The two met through their medical contacts. Mubarak, a tamarind merchant from Bellur Cross in Nagamangala, approached Sharif through a common friend, expressing a desire to buy a baby boy.
“Mubarak has three daughters, but desperately wanted a son. Though he took care of his family, he felt there was a necessity for a boy. So, he approached Sharif,” a police officer close to the investigation told DH.
Sharif informed Mahesh of Mubarak’s request. Mahesh knew a woman who lived on the streets and was too poor to raise a baby. He contacted the woman, offering her family money in exchange for her baby. Initially, a deal was struck, but the family backed out after the baby’s birth, causing the plan to collapse.
Eleven months later, Mubarak, still desperate for a son, approached Mahesh and Sharif once again. The duo planned to steal the same baby, knowing the family was homeless. Mahesh roped in Ramakrishna and Hanumantharaju, both tattoo artists, to carry out the kidnapping.
