The Mansa district police in Punjab on Saturday arrested an unemployed, drug-addicted couple along with a scrap dealer for allegedly trafficking their six-month-old son due to financial hardship. According to reports, Bareta Station House Officer Baldev Singh said that the child’s biological parents, Sandeep Singh and Gurman Kaur, and Sanju Singh, who allegedly purchased the infant last month, have been booked under Section 143 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for human trafficking.
The infant has been rescued and placed in Sri Anant Anath Ashram, a state-approved orphanage in Nathana village, Bathinda, by Mansa child protection authorities.
Investigation Underway
The SHO confirmed that Sanju’s wife, Aarti Singh, has also been named in the case and is yet to be arrested. “The investigation is ongoing to determine if others were involved,” he said.
The case was registered following a complaint by Ritu Verma, Gurman Kaur’s elder sister from Bool village in Ludhiana. The couple, residents of Akbarpur Khudal village, allegedly could not care for their child due to their drug addiction.
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Infant Sold for ₹1.8 Lakh To Fund Drug Addiction
According to police, the couple gave their six-month-old son to the scrap dealer’s family in Budhlada town for ₹1.8 lakh. The scrap dealer, who has four daughters but wanted a male child, and the couple even signed a document described as an “adoption deed”.
Locals stated that the couple spent the money on drugs and household items. Gurman Kaur, who became addicted to drugs after her marriage, was previously a state-level wrestler.
During media interactions on Friday, both Sandeep and Gurman admitted that their drug addiction led them to sell their only child. The complainant accused Sanju and Aarti Singh of exploiting the couple’s financial vulnerability and coercing them into handing over the baby.
Punjab Child Rights Commission Steps In
Taking suo motu cognisance of media reports on the case, Punjab Commission for Protection of Child Rights (PCPCR) Chairman Kanwardeep Singh issued a notice to the Mansa SSP, directing the recovery of the infant and his handover to the child welfare committee.
The commission also instructed the SSP to take action against the couple and the family that received the child and to submit a report by October 31.
Opposition Criticises State Government
The Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa (Congress), criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for ignoring the drug menace.
Bajwa said, “The sale of the child by the drug-addicted couple underscores the horrifying depth of the crisis.” He noted that the mother, a former state-level wrestler, along with her husband, sold their baby to fund their addiction, “leaving an indelible stain on the state’s history.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
