E-Paper
Toddler sold for ₹2,000 made to beg; parents, 13 others booked
Pune police arrested a couple belonging to nomadic tribe for allegedly “buying” a toddler from their relative for ₹2,000 and making the minor beg
The Yerawada police officials have arrested a couple belonging to a nomadic tribe for allegedly “buying” a toddler from their relative and then making her beg. The girl was under two years of age when she was allegedly sold for ₹2,000 and she is now four years-old, said officials on Thursday.
Advocate Shubham Lokhande (26), a resident of Vaiduwadi in Hadapsar has lodged a complaint in this regard on Wednesday.
Lokhande in his complaint stated that he received this information through a friend. After conducting inquiries, Lokhande learned that the girl is the sixth daughter of her parents. They were unable to look after her. Hence, they gave her to a married couple just for ₹2,000 and signed a notary agreement stating that they are adopting her. The toddler was taken to Supa hamlet in Baramati.
Senior police inspector Balkrishna Kadam attached to Yerawada police station said, “The couple arrested in this case and the girl’s parents know each other very well. The accused claimed that they had adopted the girl from parents and they were taking care of her. The notary document has been recovered. The probe will be widened to find if there is any organised crime group behind the illegality and whether the girl was forced into begging.”
The accused have been identified as Anil Jadhav, Laxmi Jadhav and Laxman Nimbalkar. The police booked the arrested couple, the girl’s parents and 11 others, including the “panch” of their community, under sections 363A, 370 (human trafficking), 34 of Indian Penal Code, and provisions of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and Maharashtra Prevention of Begging Rules.
