Fourth baby ‘sold’ by Missionaries of Charity found

Ranchi : Police on Sunday traced and found the fourth baby allegedly sold off by the staff and a nun of Nirmal Hriday, a shelter home run by the Missionaries of Charity (MoC).

Ranchi SSP Anish Gupta said, “This was the last of the four children which the staff of Nirmal Hriday, Anima Indwar, confessed to selling.”

He added, “The couple who bought the baby belong to Chhatarpur area of Palamu and were living in Chutia area of Ranchi, from where we found the baby.”

This six-month-old baby boy was sold immediately after birth allegedly by Nirmal Hriday for Rs 50,000.

Earlier this month, an FIR was lodged against Nirmal Hriday at Kotwali police station based on a complaint by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for selling babies and staff member Anima Indwar and sister Koncilia were arrested.

Gupta said, “We are getting many leads but we cannot divulge them as of now. We are working on to verify them.”

Anima Indwar had confessed to selling four babies of whom three were found earlier. A UP-based couple who had bought an infant brought the entire case to limelight. The other two children were found from Morhabadi and Kokar.

CWC member Srikant Kumar said, “The babies found in Morhabadi and Kokar have been handed over to their adoptive parents for two months on the terms that they will produce the babies to CWC every week. The decision has been taken considering the welfare of the children.”

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo addressing a press conference said action should be taken against Nirmal Hriday for “hiding the cases of sexual assault on underage girls”.

He said, “If underage children face sexual assault, an FIR should be registered in the case but MoC never did that. Instead they illegally gave shelter to such girls and the administration should conduct an investigation into the matter.”

Anima Indwar had confessed to selling four babies of whom three were found earlier. A UP-based couple who had bought an infant brought the entire case to limelight.

Source : TOI