Five persons were arrested on Sunday on charges of a case of illegal adoption of a newborn babe, police said. 

The infant baby’s mother along with four others was arrested while the baby has been placed in a government-run creche, Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Prafull Thakur informed.

To the question of any kind of monetary benefits involved in the case, the ASP said, Rs Rs prima-facie it looks like no money was transferred but the individuals involved in case had adopted the baby while violating norms and rules. We are looking into the money party,’’.  

 The accused have been identified as the mother of infant Ishwari Chelak from Baloda Bazar, Mamta Goswami of Tatibandh, Roopa Rathore of Purani Basti, Sanjay Gandatra of Khamtarai and Bhupesh Makhija from Saraipali town of Mahasamund district.

According to the ASP, Ishwari who belongs to labour class had reached Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Raipur while she was seven-month pregnant. She had decided to abort the child, as she was fed up of abuse hurled by her husband and they already had two children.

At the hospital she met Mamta Goswami who advised Ishwari not to abort the baby. She took Ishwari to house of a woman named Rupa Rathore, living in Purani Basti locality of state capital.

 Two months later on March 9, 2019, she gave birth to a baby girl at Ambedkar Hospital Raipur.

The matter came to light after an unknown person registered complaint with Women and Child Development Department in this regard. The department then lodged an FIR after which police initially detained Ishwari and then arrested Mamta and Rupa, ASP Thakur said.

Police tracked down Sanjay Gandtra and his brother-in-law Bhupesh in this connection.

Police have registered a case under section 75 (punishment for cruelty to child), 80 (punitive measures for adoption without following prescribed procedures) and 81 (sale and procurement of children for any purpose) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 against the accused.

The accused were presented at the local court from where they were sent to jail.