Mumbai: Woman among five booked for trying to sell her newborn for Rs 5 lakh

Mumbai, Nov 16 (PTI) A woman was among five persons booked on Sunday for allegedly trying to sell her newborn son for Rs 5 lakh in Mumbai's Shivaji Nagar-Govandi area, a police official said.

A 21-year-old unmarried woman had given birth prematurely at a nursing home in Govandi, the official said.

An activist, Binu Varghese, alerted police about the newborn being sold, following which a team under Deonar police station assistant inspector Kailas Sonawane rushed to the nursing home to begin probe, the official said.

The nursing home's owner Dr Kayamuddin Khan, staffer Anita Popat Sawant, the child's mother, agent Shama and Darshana, who was trying to purchase the infant, were booked, he said.

It is suspected that more staff members of the nursing home are involved, the official said.

"The doctor who conducted the delivery is a BUMS practitioner and does not have the authority to perform such procedures. The clinic has allegedly carried out multiple illegal abortions in the past too. Further probe in the case is underway," the official said. PTI ZA BNM