Telangana ayurveda doctor held for selling babies

Hyderabad: Police arrested a doctor from Telangana's Khamman district for allegedly selling babies to childless couples.

R Srinivas, who holds a Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree and runs a hospital in Kurivi town of Mahabubabad district, sold at least five newborns to childless parents over the past five years, Khammam Assistant Commissioner of Police PV Ganesh told.

The doctor was booked under IPC section 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave) and relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act, the ACP said.

According to the officer, the doctor sold the newborns, all girls, belonging to tribals after delivery at his hospital to childless couples for amounts ranging between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh.

Explaining his modus operandi, the police officer said Srinivas, post delivery of newborns, would tell their parents that their children are not well and that Rs 1-2 lakh is needed for treatment.

"Believing Srinivas, the parents, mostly daily wagers, abandoned their children at the hospital. He later sold them to childless parents," the officer said.

The health authorities are in the process of sealing the hospital, he said.

Srinivas' arrest came a day after one of the babies sold by him was rescued yesterday by ICDS officials and police from Khammam town, the ACP said.

A case was registered against Srinivas a month ago in Mahabubabad district for allegedly conducting illegal sex determination tests, the ACP added.

Meanwhile, the doctor has denied the allegations levelled against him.