Pics: Sphoorti Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 19: Shamir (30), from Vamanjoor here, the father of a two-month-old female baby, and Badruddin (28) from Ullal were arrested on Wednesday August 19 by Valentine D’Souza, police inspector, Panambur, for allegedly kidnapping and trying to sell off the infant.

Rehamat, wife of Shamir, had given birth to a female baby on June 26 in Kankanady hospital. City police commissioner, Seemanth Kumar Singh, said in a press conference held here on Wednesday, that an attempt to kidnap the child and sell her off was made while it was being taken home by the mother, after being discharged from the hospital on June 28.

Reportedly, as soon as Rehamat came out from the hospital, Shamir forcibly took away the child from her hands and sold it to K Abdul Khader from Kasargod. The policemen said that the deal to sell the child was struck with the help of Badurddin. Singh said that Shamir received Rs 35,000 from Abdul Khader at the time of returning from the hospital, and another Rs 50,000 later. 

Following the incident, Rehamat had filed a complaint with Girish, Panambur assistant commissioner of police, alleging that her child had been kidnapped and sold off. Abdul Khader has been married for the last 13 years but has not had children, the commissioner said.

It is gathered that the couple already have a daughter, and the baby recently born was their second child. The family is very poor, and Shamir faced problems even in clearing the hospital bill. It is said that Shamir decided to sell the baby, although his wife was against it, because of utter poverty.