Overview
- The infant was rescued and placed under the Child Welfare Committee at Sri Anant Anath Ashram in Nathana, Bathinda.
- An FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 143(4) for human trafficking has been registered, and three accused, including the biological parents and scrap dealer Sanju Singh, are in custody.
- Sanju’s wife, Aarti, has been named in the case and remains absconding as investigators continue to identify any additional suspects.
- Police say the couple from Akbarpur Khudal allegedly handed over the child to a Budhlada family for Rs 1.8 lakh, with both sides signing a community 'godnama' document.
- The Punjab Commission for Protection of Child Rights directed the Mansa SSP to recover the child and submit an action-taken report, while opposition leaders criticized the state’s response to drug abuse.