Woman kidnaps newborn, sells her for Rs 1.5 lakh after father fails to repay loan

A woman and three others were arrested on charges of kidnapping and selling a one-month-old baby girl for Rs 1.5 lakh in Ahmedabad after her father failed to repay a Rs 1 lakh loan taken to buy an autorickshaw, police said on Monday. The accused kidnapped the infant from her parents' house before selling her to another family. The child has since been rescued and reunited with her parents, police said.

The case came to light after Radha Rocky Charan, a resident of Ahmedabad's Vatva area, filed a complaint against Jagriti Suthar, whom her husband Rocky called him his 'sister'. According to the FIR, Rocky had borrowed Rs 1 lakh from Jagriti to purchase an autorickshaw and had promised to repay the amount in instalments.

Police said that after Rocky failed to repay the loan, Jagriti began pressuring the couple to hand over their newborn daughter. Shortly after the child's birth, Jagriti offered to waive the outstanding loan and pay the family additional money in exchange for the baby. The couple claimed they refused the proposal.

However, around 10 days ago, Jagriti kidnapped the infant from the family's home. When the parents later asked for the child back, she told them that the baby had been given to another family and demanded repayment of the Rs 1 lakh loan before discussing the matter further. The couple subsequently approached the police.

Speaking about the case, Vatva Police Station Inspector AA Vacheta said separate teams were formed to investigate after the complaint was received. Jagriti was detained and questioned, before being arrested. This led the police to uncover a child trafficking racket.

According to investigators, Jagriti, along with two women identified as Krishna and Manjula, sold the baby girl to Geeta Prajapati, a resident of Nadiad, for Rs 1.5 lakh. Krishna then delivered the infant to the buyer and collected the money as part of the deal, Inspector Vacheta said.

Police said Manjula worked at an IVF centre and had introduced Jagriti to Krishna. Officials clarified that the IVF centre itself had no role in the crime. Inspector Vacheta said the baby was successfully traced, rescued and handed back to her parents. Four women – Jagriti, Krishna, Manjula and Geeta Prajapati – were arrested, and a case was registered against them.

Investigators are currently tracking the money trail. Police said Jagriti had claimed she received only Rs 5,000 from the deal, while the remaining amount was allegedly distributed among others involved. Authorities are trying to determine how the money was shared and whether any additional individuals played a role.

Police are also examining the circumstances surrounding the delay in filing the FIR. While the child was sold around 10 days before the complaint was lodged on July 4, investigators suspect there may have been a dispute over money.

Officials said they are probing whether the baby's parents had any prior knowledge of the transaction. If evidence of their involvement emerges, legal action will be taken against them as well.