The Thoothukudi police have registered a case against seven persons, including a doctor and a nurse working in a private hospital in Dindigul district, on charges of selling a newborn to a couple in Thoothukudi, for ₹3 lakh, through a broker.

Following a complaint from B. Jothikumar, District Child Protection Officer, Thoothukudi, the Eral police have registered a case under the Juvenile Justice Act (Care and Protection of Children), 2015.

According to the complaint, a woman identified as Panchavarnam, wife of Pandiselvam of Dindigul, had delivered a boy baby in a private hospital in Dindigul on June 2. With the alleged connivance of a woman doctor and a nurse working in the hospital, the woman had sold her child to a couple in Eral, Thoothukudi district.

After the Child Protection Committee received a call on the helpline 1098, the team visited Eral and found that the couple -- Chinnadurai and Jecinta had the newborn in their custody. Based on their alleged confession, the Child Protection Officer lodged a complaint with the police stating that this was an “illegal adoption.”

Preliminary inquiries by the police with the accused revealed that the childless couple, had, through a broker in Thoothukudi, approached the private hospital in Dindigul and reportedly remitted ₹1 lakh in the bank account of the doctor and handed over ₹ 2 lakh cash to the nurse.

The police said they have registered a case against Chinnadurai and Jecinta, Pandiselvam and Panchavarnam, Ramesh of Thoothukudi and Saleema and Rajeswari ( the doctor and nurse). The child has been handed over to the Child Protection Committee which has entrusted the newborn with an adoption agency. Further investigations are on.