Child sale case in Shirva: Durga Vahini leader among three arrested
Udupi: In a shocking case, Shirva police have arrested three people, including a Durga Vahini leader, for selling a newborn baby that was delivered by a rape survivor.
According to police, the arrested persons are Dr. Somesh Solomon, a doctor from B.C. Road; Vijayalakshmi alias Vijaya, a Durga Vahini leader who also runs a paying guest facility in Mangaluru; and Navaneet Narayan (25), accused of sexually assaulting the young woman who later became pregnant.
Prabhavati and Ramesh Moulya, a couple from Kallugudde in Shirva who were unable to have children, had expressed their desire to adopt. Their relative Priyanka introduced them to Vijayalakshmi, who then offered to give them the baby of an unmarried woman working at her PG accommodation.
Police investigations revealed that Vijayalakshmi and Dr. Somesh conspired to sell the child after delivery. During medical check-ups, they allegedly used Prabhavati’s Aadhaar card instead of the pregnant woman’s, in order to later claim the baby as Prabhavati’s own.
On August 3, the woman delivered a baby girl via caesarean section at Colaso Hospital in Mangaluru. The infant was then handed over to Prabhavati and her husband in exchange for ₹4.5 lakh, Udupi SP Hariram Shankar confirmed.
Further investigation uncovered that the young woman had been sexually assaulted by Navaneet Narayan, leading to her pregnancy. The survivor, who reportedly has mental health issues, was kept along with her mother at Vijayalakshmi’s PG facility.
Police said the woman did not receive proper postnatal care after her caesarean delivery, and they had to intervene to ensure she was admitted again for treatment.
SP Shankar also revealed that Vijayalakshmi has links with several organisations and runs a hospital canteen in Mangaluru. There are also suspicions that she has been selling other children born under “unwanted or illegitimate circumstances.”
The case came to light when Prabhavati and her husband tried to register the baby at an Anganwadi center through the Poshan Tracker. Staff grew suspicious since the couple had no biological children. A complaint was lodged with the Child Protection Committee, which led police to investigate.
The three accused were produced before court and remanded to judicial custody. Meanwhile, Prabhavati, her husband, and their relative Priyanka have also been questioned but not taken into custody.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Harsha Priyamvada of Karkala is leading the investigation.
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Maoist carrying bounty of Rs 15 lakh among four killed in gunfight with security forces in J’khand
Hazaribag (PTI): Four Maoists, including one carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakh on his head, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district on Friday, police officials said.
The encounter took place in the Khapia forest area within the Keredari police station limits, following a tip-off.
"Four Maoists were killed in a gunfight with joint forces in 'Operation KotiNeer'. The Maoists killed have been identified as regional committee member Sahdeo Maho, carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakh, Ranjit Ganjhu, Zonal committee member, carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh," IG, CRPF, Saket Kumar Singh told mediapersons.
The remaining two are Area Commander Budhan Karmali, carrying a reward of Rs one lakh and sub-zonal committee member Natasha, a woman who hailed from Gadchiroli in Maharashtra.
SDPO of Barkagaon, Pawan Kumar, said that no security personnel were injured in the operation.
The Maoists killed were wanted in about 80 cases.
With the encounter, only 57 Maoists are left in the state, the IG said.
A number of arms were also recovered during the operation including two AK 47 and one INSAS rifles.
The development comes close on the heels of a fierce exchange of fire between a Maoist squad headed by Misir Besra, who carries a bounty of Rs 1 crore, and police personnel on April 15 in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum. Four security personnel were injured in the encounter.
The Centre has already informed the state governments that there are no Naxal violence-affected districts in the country, more than five decades since Left Wing Extremism (LWE) originated in India.
The declaration followed a high-level security review held earlier this month by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the mandated 'National Policy and Action Plan to Address Left Wing Extremism' formulated in 2015.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed Parliament on March 30 that India was free from Maoists.
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