NAMAKKAL: A couple of days after an audio clip exposing a major adoption racket went viral on social media, three persons, including a nurse from Erode district, were arrested for allegedly acting as brokers, here on Saturday.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Arularasu told Express that the trio procured eggs with the help of private fertility clinics across the State, including Coimbatore Erode and Vellore. Widows were reportedly their prime source, and the former were paid around Rs 7,000; childless couples had to shell out Rs 12,000 for the eggs.
“This seems to be a huge network. Till now, the three suspects have reportedly reached out to many childless couples across the State. They have sold 12 children to adoptive parents, including one in Kolli Hills. For this, the trio had also sought the help of two advocates from Namakkal. Soon, the advocates would also be inquired,” the Superintendent of Police said.
The three suspects have been booked under sections 370 (2), (4) (exploitation of person by fraud), 420 (cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 109 (punishment of abetment) of the Indian Penal Code, and sections 80 and 81 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
Sources in the police department told Express that teams of Health department have inquired over 100 people, including government officials, in connection with this case so far. Though six suspects have been arrested, more than five, who acted as brokers from Tiruchengode and Komarapalayam in Namakkal, have been secured for further investigation, they said.
“There are chances of identifying more victims after 6,000 birth certificates in Rasipuram and Kolli Hills are verified. During the process of verification, some addresses were found to be bogus. Although there are issues in locating the houses of mothers, who delivered in their houses, in Kolli Hills, the teams have taken the help of officials of the primary health centres at Sengarai and Semmedu.