COIMBATORE: Less than a week after a daily wage labourer sold her newborn child for Rs 25,000, Coimbatore city police have summoned the child’s parents, the buyer, mediator and a tout. They shall all appear before the Race Course police station before December 17. The baby was rescued from the buyer by child protection officer and Child Line staff, and handed over to child welfare committee (CWC). It was sent to Saranalayam, a home for children, on Thursday evening. Police inquiry revealed that it is fourth baby to be sold by Jayalakshmi, 36, from Karayampalayam near Chinniyampalayam.She delivered a baby boy on December 6 at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital. Child Line counsellor I Angeline received a tip off that Jayalakshmi sold her baby to someone and immediately Angeline approached A Rexlin, 37, child protection officer, Child protection society unit, district collectorate. Immediately, they alerted the police and rescued the baby boy from a couple -- Muthukumar and Malathi of Tatabad -- in Coimbatore.“The mother sold the baby boy for Rs 25,000. Already she sold her son Manikandan (now 7 year old) to a Madurai-based couple and two daughters -- a four year old girl and Shalini (2) -- to two couples of Singanallur and Peelamedu . She received a meagre amount for selling her children. She is taking care of two daughters and a son. Her husband Venkatesan, 40, a wall painter, was a drunkard and did not bother about the family. So, she sold her four babies for money,” said Angeline.Based on the child protection officer’s complaint, police registered a case against parents of the baby, a couple who bought the baby boy, a woman tout Gokila of Chinniyampalayam and mediators Chandrasekar from Sanganoor and Swarnamma, 55 of Gandhipuram. They were booked under sections 80, 81, 87 of the Juvenile Justice (care and protection of children) act 2015.The baby was kept at the CMCH for the last few days. Dr S Ganesh Babu, deputy medical superintendent, CMCH, handed over the baby boy to child protection officer Rexlin and Child Line counsellor Angeline on Thursday evening. The baby was produced before the CWC and later sent to Saranalayam.When contacted, Race Course police inspector M Deivasigamani said he already issued summons to the seven people to appear before him. “We will conduct thorough investigation with the seven people. Based on the information, further action would be taken,” said Deivasigamani.

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