Lucknow Police uncover newborn sale racket with house-for-baby deal, forged records

Police have booked two women, two doctors and a Lucknow hospital after recovering a newborn allegedly transferred using forged medical records. Police are examining hospital records, financial transactions and digital evidence, while probing possible links to a wider child trafficking network. The infant has been placed in a government children's home.

In Short

• Police say the alleged deal was struck months before the birth
• The mother was allegedly admitted under another woman's name at hospital
• A tip-off led officers to the homemaker's house, where baby was found

A childless homemaker in Lucknow promised to build a house for a daily wage labourer in exchange for her newborn, in what police say was a baby sale facilitated through forged hospital records and an attempt to bypass legal adoption procedures.

The Anti-Human Trafficking (AHT) Unit and Gudamba Police uncovered the alleged racket at St Mary's Polyclinic and registered an FIR against the homemaker, the child's biological mother, two doctors and the hospital management.

According to the police, the alleged deal was struck nearly three months before the child's birth. Aarti Devi, a daily wage labourer and mother of three from Bahadurpur, allegedly agreed to hand over her fourth child to Renu Sharma, a childless homemaker from Shanti Vihar. During questioning, police said Renu had allegedly promised to build a house for Aarti in return for the baby.

Police said the newborn was handed over to Renu two days after birth at St Mary's Polyclinic on August 3. Police claimed that Aarti was admitted to the hospital under Renu Sharma's name, allowing forged medical records to be created showing Renu as the biological mother.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided Renu Sharma's residence and recovered the newborn. An FIR has been registered against Renu Sharma, Aarti Devi, Dr Shalu, Dr Vinod and the management of St Mary's Polyclinic.

The hospital administration has claimed that the woman admitted herself under a false name and that hospital authorities were unaware of the alleged fraud. Police, however, said the investigation is examining every aspect of the case.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Kiran Yadav said investigators are scrutinising the hospital's birth and discharge records, digital data, electronic evidence and financial transactions. She added that DNA fingerprinting of the newborn and the concerned individuals would be conducted if required to establish biological parentage.

Police are also investigating whether the case is linked to a larger organised baby trafficking or illegal child sale network.

The newborn has been placed under the care of the Child Welfare Committee and shifted to the Government Children's Home in Hazratganj pending further investigation.

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Inputs from Ankit Mishra