Poverty forced the Muslim parents from riot-hit Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh to sell their month-old infant trafficked, later, to Punjab.
Three more alleged women conduits of the midwife, Usha, who was caught on Friday night after a Hindustan Times sting operation, are under arrest as members of her child-trafficking gang. The infant's mother, Salma, is from Miranpur village in UP's Muzaffarnagar district.
"Accused Madhu, Anandi and Shajhan, who were arrested on Sunday, are from Dehradun (Uttarakhand capital)," senior superintendent of police Hardial Singh Mann told the media, adding: "The infant's parents are untraced but accused Madhu has given us the name of his mother."
Salma, being poor, reportedly sold her child for Rs 50,000 before he was sold further to Usha for Rs 1.30 lakh. With new arrests from Dehradun, five people (four women and taxi driver Charanjit Singh) now are in custody in the case. Preliminary interrogation suggests that the gang is in this business for many years.
Police have taken the accused to UP and Uttarakhand catch the other members.
Another case is registered at Mullanpur Dakha village in Ludhiana district. "The gang bought the newborn in Muzaffarnagar," said the SSP.