Patna: Police in Patna have arrested three people, including a private hospital operator, in connection with an alleged attempt to traffic a newborn delivered through an illegal cesarean section performed on an eight-month pregnant minor.
The incident came to light at Sanjivani Hospital in the Ashiana Nagar area of the city. According to police, the hospital operator, Rakesh Kumar Sinha, allegedly carried out the surgery after reaching an agreement with the minor’s boyfriend and his mother to take custody of the newborn and sell the child.
The baby was later recovered by police from the Phulwarisharif area following a complaint filed by the minor’s parents.
Officials said the minor had gone missing from her home on March 3, prompting her family to file a missing person report. During the investigation, police located the child in Khoja Imli under the jurisdiction of Phulwari Sharif police station.
When the minor was brought to the police station, officers noticed that she was bleeding and in a distressed condition. During questioning, she told police that she had been in a relationship with a young man and had informed him when she became pregnant.
According to investigators, the boyfriend and his mother allegedly admitted her to Sanjivani Hospital in Anisabad when she was eight months pregnant. Doctors reportedly said that termination of the pregnancy at that stage could only be carried out through surgery.
Police say the hospital operator agreed to perform the operation free of charge on the condition that the newborn would be handed over to him.
After the delivery, the baby was allegedly handed over to a resident of Khagaul who was paid to take care of the child while a buyer was sought.
Acting on instructions from DSP Secretariat Anu Kumari, the police arrested the hospital operator, the minor’s boyfriend and his mother. The hospital has been sealed as part of the investigation.
Police recovered the newborn from a person who had been assigned to care for the child and locate potential buyers. The child has since been handed over to the Child Welfare Committee.
Investigators suspect the case may be linked to a broader network involved in trafficking newborns through illegal medical facilities.
“The hospital operator, the minor’s boyfriend and his mother have been arrested and the entire case is being investigated thoroughly. Other individuals may also be involved in the conspiracy to sell the newborn, and they are being identified,” Kumari said.
The health department has also begun a separate inquiry into the hospital’s operations.
Civil surgeon Dr Yogendra Kumar Mandal said authorities would examine all records related to the establishment and functioning of Sanjivani Hospital in Anisabad.
Based on the findings, the hospital operator’s licences could be cancelled and further departmental action may be taken against doctors, nurses and paramedical staff involved in the case.
Officials said the accused could face charges under the Indian Penal Code as well as provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The investigation is ongoing.
