Auto driver sells 18 day-old daughter for Rs. 1 lakh in Hyderabad

Mohd Asif (43), an auto driver and his wife, Asma Begum (31), residents of Bandlaguda were blessed with a baby girl. Asif, who was having financial problems, decided to sell the child and clear his debt.

Hyderabad: Within 24-hours of an 18 day-old girl child being sold was reported, the Bandlaguda police have solved the case and arrested three persons including her father on Friday. The child was rescued safely and handed over to her mother.

Mohd Asif (43), an auto driver and his wife, Asma Begum (31), residents of Mohammed Nagar in Bandlaguda were blessed with a baby girl in the last week of June. The couple had named her as Hafeeza.

---

However, the police said that Asif, who was having financial problems, decided to sell the child and clear his debt. He approached a resident of Abdullapurmet, Chand Sultana (55), and struck a deal of Rs 1 lakh for selling the girl child. On July 8, Asif informed his wife he was taking the baby out to a nearby shop, but returned home after few hours alone, without the newborn.

“When Asma enquired about the whereabouts of the child, Asif gave vague replies. Suspecting his behaviour, she confronted him and he spilled the beans. She approached the police only on Thursday and lodged a formal complaint,” said an official.

Asif was detained and questioned and based on his confession, the intermediary Chand Sultana and subsequently Minal Saad, the buyer of the child from Karnataka was arrested. The trio was produced before the court for remanding in judicial custody.