Fake Kidnapping Case Uncovered: Parents Sold Newborn Due to Poverty in Jharkhand

Hazaribagh: What was initially reported as the kidnapping of a newborn in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district has been exposed as a fabricated story, officials said on Tuesday. Police investigations revealed that the infant was not abducted but was sold by her parents due to acute financial distress.

The police have recovered the baby and reunited her with her mother.

According to officials, Baby Devi, a resident of Bahimar village under the Katkamandi police station area, delivered her sixth child on January 24. Struggling to provide for five children amid extreme poverty, the family decided they could not take responsibility for the newborn and chose to sell her.

The parents allegedly contacted a relative, Meena Devi, also known as Malti Devi, through her friend Devanti Devi, and sold the infant to her.

On January 26, a false kidnapping narrative was circulated near Laxmi Petrol Pump under the Sadar police station area. It was claimed that an unidentified woman had snatched a three-day-old baby from a woman who had come to Hazaribagh for medical treatment.

The report triggered panic and anger among locals, leading to road blockades and slogans against the police.

Taking the matter seriously, the police launched an intensive probe, examining CCTV footage, mobile phone locations, and family details. During sustained questioning, Baby Devi confessed to the entire plot.

Subsequently, Meena Devi alias Malti Devi was arrested from the Chauparan area, and the newborn was safely recovered and handed back to her mother.

Police officials said a comprehensive investigation is underway, including the role of those involved in spreading false information, conspiracy, disrupting law and order, and blocking roads.

With inputs from IANS