Ahmedabad: A 19-year-old woman on Saturday night lodged a complaint with Vatva police alleging that her month-old daughter was taken away and sold by a woman to recover a Rs 1 lakh debt, forcing her to approach the police after the infant was returned nearly 10 days later.According to the FIR, the complainant and her husband, an autorickshaw driver, earlier lived near the accused, whom they considered a family member. The couple also worked at a restaurant located below the accused ‘s apartment in Hathijan.The complainant alleged that around four months ago, her husband borrowed Rs 1 lakh from the woman to buy an autorickshaw. After the complainant gave birth to a baby girl at a Vatva hospital on June 3, the accused allegedly started demanding repayment of the loan.About 20 days after the child’s birth, the couple visited the accused’s residence, where she allegedly offered to waive the outstanding loan and pay them an additional Rs 2 lakh if they handed over the infant, assuring them that the child would be raised by a well-off family. The complainant claimed she rejected the proposal.However, since she was recovering from surgery and unable to cook, the family continued visiting the woman’s house for meals. Around 10 days ago, the accused allegedly came to the couple’s residence and sought permission to take the baby for a few hours to play with her. Trusting her, the complainant handed over the infant.When the woman did not return the newborn till late evening, the parents approached her, after which she allegedly told them that she had “sold” the baby to another family. The complainant alleged that the accused refused to disclose the identity or contact details of the family and repeatedly told them that the child would not be returned.The FIR states that despite repeated requests, the accused did not return the infant for several days. The baby girl was brought back to her parents on Saturday morning, following which the mother, still traumatised by the incident, approached Vatva police with her husband later that day.Police registered an FIR and launched an investigation into the allegations.
