Karnataka Police Bust Child-Selling Racket in Belagavi: Four Arrested, Including Step-Father

In a shocking development, Karnataka Police have successfully uncovered a child-selling racket operating in the border district of Belagavi.

Four individuals, including a stepfather, have been arrested in connection with the sale of a seven-year-old boy from Sultanpur near Hukkeri town, in Belagavi district.

The Incident

The arrested individuals have been identified as Sadashiva Shivabasappa Magadum, the child’s stepfather; Laxmibabu Golbhavi, a resident of Sultanpura; Sangeeta Vishnu Sawant from Nagala Park, Kolhapur, Maharashtra; and Anasuya Girimallappa Dodmani, from Kesroli in Haliyala taluk, Karwar district, Karnataka.

The boy was sold for a staggering Rs 4 lakh to one Dilshaad Sikandar Tehsildar, a resident of Belagavi, who had been seeking a son to raise, as he already had two daughters. The illicit transaction came to light after the boy’s mother filed a missing person report with the police, sparking an investigation.

Investigation and Arrests

Upon investigation, the police tracked down the boy to a village near Bailhongal town, in Belagavi district. They discovered that Sadashiva Shivabasappa Magadum, the boy’s stepfather, along with his accomplices, had sold the boy to Dilshaad Sikandar.

In a twisted turn of events, Sangeeta Vishnu Sawant allegedly convinced Sadashiva to marry the boy’s mother and facilitated the illegal transaction.

Accused Anasuya Girimallappa Dodmani played a key role by falsely claiming that the child was an orphan before selling him to Dilshaad. The police have made significant progress in dismantling the racket, with four individuals now in custody.

Previous Incidents of Child Trafficking in Karnataka

This recent bust is not an isolated incident. It marks the third child trafficking case in Belagavi district within the past three months.

Earlier in June 2024, a similar racket was uncovered in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district. Six babies, ranging in age from 11 months to 2.5 years, were rescued by the police after a raid on a private hospital and its staff.

The Tumakuru racket involved the illegal sale of babies by hospital staff to childless couples, in exchange for hefty sums ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh.

The babies were obtained from parents who didn’t want them and were sold under fake adoption procedures. In this case, a nurse and the hospital’s owner, along with two other nurses, were arrested.

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Public Outcry and Awareness

The frequency of such incidents in Karnataka has raised widespread concerns about the vulnerability of children to exploitation. These trafficking networks prey on both the desperation of childless couples and the desperation of parents unable to care for their children.

The role of authorities, both at the local and state level, has come under scrutiny as these child-selling operations continue to surface.