Representative image
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
The Villivakkam police arrested seven persons on Thursday in connection with the alleged sale of a two-day-old baby girl. Police sources said a childless couple from Andhra Pradesh allegedly paid ₹9 lakh, including pregnancy-related expenses, to obtain the baby.The accused were identified as Pavithra, 23, the baby’s mother; Selvarasi, 30, and Gnanasekaran, 35, the couple from Andhra Pradesh; middlepersons Dhanam, 50, Visalakshmi, 45, and Aandal, 45; and private hospital doctor Rajasekaran, 40).Police sources said Pavithra and her husband, Ganesan, 25, are residents of Ezhil Nagar. Pavithra works as a daily wage labourer, while Ganesan is unemployed and has a history of criminal cases.Pavithra was admitted to a private hospital near the Villivakkam bus depot for delivery a few days ago. She already has a son and, after giving birth to a second child, a girl, allegedly decided to sell the newborn, citing financial difficulties.Two days after the delivery, the baby was allegedly handed over to a childless couple from Andhra Pradesh for ₹9 lakh. Pavithra was discharged from the hospital on August 19 without the infant and returned home.After information about the alleged sale reached the Villivakkam police and the Chennai District Child Protection Unit, officials launched an inquiry. The investigation confirmed that the baby had allegedly been sold shortly after birth.Police initially detained three persons, including a woman working at the hospital, who were allegedly involved in the transaction.During the investigation, police found that Pavithra’s husband was lodged in Puzhal prison in connection with a criminal case. Police suspect that financial hardship prompted her to arrange the sale of her second child.Investigators said Dhanam allegedly acted as a broker and introduced Aandal to the arrangement. Police suspect that a dispute over the distribution of the money among those involved eventually brought the transaction to light, leading to the investigation.A special police team was sent to Andhra Pradesh, who rescued the infant from the couple on Thursday afternoon. The child was subsequently brought back to Chennai.Following the recovery of the infant, Villivakkam police arrested all seven persons under Sections 80 and 81 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, which deal with the sale and procurement of children.The police have expanded the probe to determine whether other newborns were sold through a similar network. Investigators are also making inquiries at Pavithra’s residence to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the alleged sale. Published - August 27, 2026 06:16 pm IST
