Police on Friday detained a woman for trying to sell a three-month-old boy on the road in Guindy, after receiving reports from alarmed passersby who suspected that she had abducted the infant.
However, after establishing that the baby belonged to the woman, Maragatham, 40, and that she was driven by poverty to sell the child, police admitted her to a private home in Manapakkam.
"We confirmed that she was the mother of the child," a police officer said. "She had come to the city in search of employment but failed to get a job."
"She had not eaten for two days and was desperate," she said. "It appears to be an unfortunate case, really."
The officer said passersby informed police after seeing the woman carrying the baby on Race Course Road. She was attempting to sell the baby for Rs 7,000. "People assumed that she had kidnapped the child," the officer said.
A team from the Guindy all-women police station took Maragatham in for questioning. She told them she was originally from Salem.
"Although the baby seems to be hers, we are checking to make sure," the officer said. "We have to rule out that she had stolen the baby from somewhere, even outside Chennai. We have informed all police stations across the state and have asked them to inform us if they have a case of a missing three-month-old boy."
Maragatham told police she had come to Chennai from Trichy on Thursday. She alighted at the Tambaram station and boarded a suburban train to Guindy. Because she had heard that the city was a hub for the construction business, she went to several construction sites and pleaded for a job. She said no one was willing to hire her.
"Maragatham said she was weak because she had not eaten for long," the officer said. "She decided to sell her baby to save herself and the child."
The woman told police that she had been working as a construction worker in Trichy, where she got pregnant and gave birth to the baby. She came to Chennai when the child's father refused to accept them. Maragatham claimed her husband was mentally ill.
Policemen called a primary health centre in Trichy where Maragatham said she had the baby and staff there confirmed that she had been admitted at the centre. Police decided to send Maragatham and the child to a home run by a Christian missionary in Manapakkam and alerted other police stations across the state about the case.
However, after establishing that the baby belonged to the woman, Maragatham, 40, and that she was driven by poverty to sell the child, police admitted her to a private home in Manapakkam.
"We confirmed that she was the mother of the child," a police officer said. "She had come to the city in search of employment but failed to get a job."
"She had not eaten for two days and was desperate," she said. "It appears to be an unfortunate case, really."
The officer said passersby informed police after seeing the woman carrying the baby on Race Course Road. She was attempting to sell the baby for Rs 7,000. "People assumed that she had kidnapped the child," the officer said.
A team from the Guindy all-women police station took Maragatham in for questioning. She told them she was originally from Salem.
"Although the baby seems to be hers, we are checking to make sure," the officer said. "We have to rule out that she had stolen the baby from somewhere, even outside Chennai. We have informed all police stations across the state and have asked them to inform us if they have a case of a missing three-month-old boy."
Maragatham told police she had come to Chennai from Trichy on Thursday. She alighted at the Tambaram station and boarded a suburban train to Guindy. Because she had heard that the city was a hub for the construction business, she went to several construction sites and pleaded for a job. She said no one was willing to hire her.
"Maragatham said she was weak because she had not eaten for long," the officer said. "She decided to sell her baby to save herself and the child."
The woman told police that she had been working as a construction worker in Trichy, where she got pregnant and gave birth to the baby. She came to Chennai when the child's father refused to accept them. Maragatham claimed her husband was mentally ill.
Policemen called a primary health centre in Trichy where Maragatham said she had the baby and staff there confirmed that she had been admitted at the centre. Police decided to send Maragatham and the child to a home run by a Christian missionary in Manapakkam and alerted other police stations across the state about the case.
Courtesy:TOI