Newborn baby sold by doctor recovered

Newborn baby sold by doctor recovered
Ram Parmar
Friday, January 02, 2009, (Vasai, Mumbai)
In a shocking incident on the outskirts of Mumbai, a baby was sold off by doctors of a hospital in Vasai.

A complaint to the police states that the baby was sold because the parents could not clear their hospital dues. Two doctors have been arrested as the police investigate the possibility of a child trafficking racket.

The hospital in Vasai where Neha Gaokar delivered in allegedly sold the infant a few weeks after he was born. All this while she was virtually held prisoner at the hospital because her husband had not cleared dues worth Rs 4500.

"The mother did not even know her baby had been sold. She had just signed on some papers," said Pandarinath Mandre, police inspector, Manikpur.

The man who bought the child claims he was unaware of the illegal deal. He says he paid Rs 90,000 as adoption charges and Rs 15,000 to clear hospital bills. He claims the hospital said Neha did not want the child.

"There was no agreement. I was told by the doctor that his brother-in-law would make the agreement," said Steven Mascarenhas, man who bought the child.

Neha was finally rescued by social workers and managed to file a complaint
The hospital doctors Harivardhan Bhansali and his son Ankur are now in custody as the police investigate a wider child trafficking racket. But for Neha the worst is over as she has got her baby back.