In two separate incidents, police have cracked newborn sale cases at government hospitals in Hosapete and Ballari, leading to the arrest of eight people in total.
At the 60-bed government Mother and Child Hospital in Hosapete, a baby girl born on August 26 was allegedly sold for ₹10,000. Following a tip-off to the child helpline, the District Child Protection Unit filed a complaint, and four people, including ASHA workers Kavitha M and Nagarathna, were arrested. Police said the ASHA workers forced the mother to part with the child. The rescued infant is now under the care of a state-run adoption centre.
In Ballari, a newborn boy was sold for ₹1.5 lakh from the Ballari Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) hospital. Police arrested four accused: Shamin Ismail (25), Ismail Yacob Sab (65), Basha Sab (55), and Basavaraj Sajjan (43). Investigators said Sajjan contacted Ismail near the hospital under the pretext of adoption, but the group planned a kidnapping instead. The baby was sold on September 12. SP Shobha Rani V J formed a special team, which solved the case within a day using CCTV and technical evidence.
Police said such rackets mainly target poor families at government hospitals, and villagers have demanded strict action against those involved.