A nun from Ranchi’s Missionaries of Charity was arrested on Thursday for allegedly selling infant babies for adoption. The cops nabbed another employee of Nirmal Hriday with identical charges.
The accused were identified as Sister Konsalia and worker Anima Indwar. The police found at least four instances in which new-borns were sold at around Rs. 1.2 lakh each without proper documentation. There are fears among I that the number could be more.
Police said many unmarried pregnant women took shelter at the charity and the accused persons used to take benefit of this.
According to police, they have been receiving complaints against the particular branch over the last six months. Recently, a couple from Uttar Pradesh came across one of the accused, Indwar, through their relative. When they contacted Indwar, the latter demanded Rs. 1.2 lakh for requisite paperwork. Following which the couple got the infant baby who was born on May 1 this year.
Later, when the state’s Child Welfare Committee visited the Ranchi centre, they found an infant missing since May 14. Following this, they questioned Indwar and Sister Konsalia and their completely different versions of stories made the police team suspicious. The committee filed a complaint against two of them in the local police station.
Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das ordered a state-wide investigation to find out the root and perpetrators behind this crime.
The incident has shocked Mother House in Kolkata. Spokesperson of the charity, Sunita Kumar, said it is hard to digest one of their Sisters had indulged in such heinous crime. We are ready to cooperate with the police and want them to take proper steps as soon as possible.
She said they have 3,000 branches across the globe but this is the first time their charity was linked with such a crime.
