Erode police apprehended a 28-year-old man, Santhosh Kumar, and four women brokers on Sunday for allegedly selling his infant daughter to a childless couple in Nagercoil for Rs. 4 lakh. The incident has sparked concern over child trafficking in the region.

According to police reports, Santhosh Kumar, a resident of Manikkampalayam in Erode, was in a relationship with Nithya (28) from Thanjavur, who had been living separately from her husband due to personal issues. Nithya gave birth to a baby girl about one and a half months ago.

With Nithya’s initial consent, Santhosh reached out to four women intermediaries—Selvi (47) from Kaniravuthar Kulam, Radha (39) and Revathi from Ellapalayam, and Sidhika Banu (39) from Lakshmi Nagar in Erode—to arrange the sale of the child. The brokers located a childless couple in Nagercoil and agreed on a deal to sell the baby for Rs. 4 lakh.

However, soon after the transaction, Nithya began to regret her decision and struggled with the grief of parting with her child. She approached the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and reported the incident. The CWC subsequently alerted the Veerappanchatram police, who launched an investigation. Following their inquiries, the police arrested Santhosh Kumar and the four brokers involved in the scheme.

Authorities stated that Nithya, who is currently experiencing health issues, has been admitted to the Perundurai Government Medical College Hospital. Legal action against her is reportedly under consideration. Police are actively working to locate and retrieve the baby from the couple in Nagercoil.

Further investigations are ongoing to uncover more details surrounding the case.