Overview
- Balapur police say they rescued a four-day-old newborn unharmed and arrested a woman identified as Waheeda Khatoon after laying a sting to stop an alleged sale.
- Investigators allege the accused approached a contact in Barkas to broker the sale and that the newborn was first offered for Rs 6 lakh before negotiators reduced the price to Rs 5 lakh.
- Police say the meeting location shifted from Shaheen Nagar to an area near JGR Function Hall in Pahadi Shareef before officers moved in to intercept the transaction.
- Officers report the baby’s biological mother had been discharged from a Malakpet hospital the same day, and the child is now in police custody and rescue care as inquiries continue.
- Authorities have opened a detailed probe into intermediaries, prospective buyers and possible links to a larger child-trafficking network and have not ruled out further arrests.