Two more arrested for child trafficking from Bihar

Police have arrested two more persons in connection with the trafficking of two newborn babies from Bihar and their sale to two couples in Coimbatore and Andhra Pradesh.

Those arrested were identified as Poonam Devi, 61, and her daughter Neha Kumari, 21, both from Darbhanga, Bihar.

They were accused of kidnapping two newborn babies from their natal families and handing them over to a couple from Bihar, who ran a restaurant at Appanaickenpatti near Sulur in Coimbatore district.

Police had arrested the couple, Mr Maheshkumar, 34, and his wife Mr Anjalikumari, 24, on June 3, based on an alert from Child Line, after receiving specific information that they were involved in child trafficking.

Investigators found that the couple had sold a seven-day-old girl child to D. Vijayan, 48, a farmer from Lakshminaickenpalayam near Sulur, for ₹2.5 lakh and another male child to a truck driver in the 'Andhra Pradesh two years ago. Police rescued the boy from Andhra Pradesh on June 3 and the girl the next day. Vijayan was arrested on June 8.

During interrogation, Maheshkumar and his wife told the police that Poonam Devi and Neha Kumari had given the children to them. Based on their confession, the mother-daughter duo was arrested on June 9.

Police said a detailed investigation was underway to check whether the four Bihar natives had kidnapped other children and sold them to people in Tamil Nadu and other places.