IN THE infant trafficking case, Ajni police recovered the one-year-old girl from a couple living in Bhandara. The child was sold to the couple by Dr Ashiq Rasheed Barade last year informing her mother that the baby was unwell. Police produced Dr Ashiq Barade (42), who runs a posh three-storey nursing home -- Barade Nursing Home -- in Mankapur area, in the court on Saturday and obtained his police custody remand for four days. As the doctor told the police that the baby was sold to a couple in Bhandara, the police immediately swung into action and called the couple to the police station. The baby was kept under observation of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), said police. The Bhandara couple was childless for 12 years, it was learnt.

 

Additionally, the police are investigating the case to ascertain whether Dr Barade was involved in more cases of child trafficking. It may be mentioned that the investigation began when a woman approached Ajni police and lodged a complaint against one Ashish Ghanshyam Laddhad, a resident of Mankapur. According to the victim’s statement, she had been coerced into a physical relationship with the accused, which eventually led to her pregnancy. On March 28, 2022, Laddhad, along with the woman, allegedly visited the nursing home at Kolte Layout, Godhni Railway, where she gave birth to a baby girl. Dr Barade discharged the woman from the hospital, but not her newborn baby claiming that the newborn was unwell.

 

The whereabouts of the baby remained unknown, leaving the victim concerned for the child’s safety. Further, Laddhad started abusing the woman and also threatened to kill her father. On the victim’s complaint, the police have registered a case under Sections 376(2)(N) (related to rape), 384 (extortion), 294 (obscene acts ), and 506 (b) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against Laddhad. Further investigations revealed that Dr Barade had allegedly manipulated records to create bogus birth certificates for the newborn. Moreover, he sold the baby to the couple.