On Saturday, Khammam police arrested a doctor for selling babies to childless couples.
The accused R. Srinivas holds a degree in Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (BAMS.) He runs a hospital in Kurivi of Mahabubabad district. He has allegedly sold at least five newborns to childless parents in the last five years.
P.V. Ganesh, the Assistant Commissioner of Khammam said the doctor named Srinivas, has been booked under IPC section 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave,) and relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The officer also said the newborns were all girls and belonged to tribals that delivered in his hospital. He sold the babies for amounts between Rs. 1 Lakh and Rs. 2 Lakhs. Going into the details, he said that Srinivas, post delivery would tell the parents that the child is ill and needs at least Rs. 2 lakh for treatment.
The officer said, “Believing Srinivas, the parents, mostly daily wagers, abandoned their children at the hospital. He later sold them to childless parents.” The health authorities have initiated the process to close down the hospital.
This arrest came a day after a baby sold by Srinivas was rescued by ICDS officials and police of Khammam on Friday. Last month, a case was registered in Mahabubabad on Srinivas for conducting gender determination tests. Srinivas, however, denied all these cases and pleaded innocent.
