Debt-Ridden Auto Driver Sells Newborn Daughter For Rs 1 Lakh in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: An auto driver in Telangana’s Hyderabad was arrested by the police for selling his 18-day-old daughter for Rs 1 lakh to clear his debt. The incident reportedly took place on Thursday, following which the information was passed to the local Bandlaguda police. Considering the gravity of the case, the police responded quickly and arrested the father and two others involved in the incident and rescued the girl child safely within 24 hours. The child was later handed over to her mother.

The accused auto driver was identified as Mohammad Asif (43). According to the police, Asif 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 a 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 spilt 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