Infant Rescued After Father Sells Her for ₹5,000 to Couple

Quick Summary

• Incident: A three-year-old girl, Sravani, was allegedly sold by her father, Saikam Mastan, for ₹5,000.He falsely reported her kidnapping to authorities.
• Details of Sale: Mastan sold the child at Vijayawada railway station to a live-in couple-Bolla Srinivasulu and Sadela Chinnari-from Prakasam and ASR districts respectively. Srinivasulu is a buttermilk vendor; Chinnari is a beggar.
• Motive: The couple reportedly planned to maim the child and use her for begging.
• Rescue Operation: Police rescued the baby within hours after analyzing CCTV footage. They intercepted the bus where suspects were traveling near Rajahmundry with help from its driver Yerramsetti Vara Prasad.
• Fate of Accused: Mastan confessed during interrogation; ₹1,850 was seized from him. All three accused were arrested under charges of human trafficking (Section 143) and violations under Juvenile Justice Act (Section 81).
• Baby’s Mother’s Statement: The mother alleged that Mastan forcibly took away their daughter two days before the sale.

Photo: GRP Circle Inspector J.V. Ramana pictured with rescued baby at Vijayawada railway station.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The swift rescue operation showcases commendable coordination between various police units in tracking down suspects through CCTV footage and timely alerts across jurisdictions.While this incident highlights effective law enforcement capacity in India’s transit zones like railway stations, it also exposes deep societal issues such as economic desperation leading to heinous crimes like human trafficking.

The legal submission of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 provisions alongside juvenile justice measures demonstrates growing institutional frameworks for addressing such offenses urgently and transparently. However,balancing punitive action with long-term prevention strategies-such as poverty alleviation programs-could be crucial to mitigating similar future risks.

Read more: The Hindu