*Guntur* – In a disturbing incident, a father has allegedly sold his newborn baby girl for ₹1.90 lakh, treating her like livestock, in a shocking case of child trafficking in Andhra Pradesh. The incident came to light after alert hospital staff raised concerns, leading to a police investigation that exposed the sordid details.The chain of events began at the Guntur Government General Hospital (GGH), where a woman named Mirabi from Bhattiprolu was admitted. Though Mirabi had recently lost her baby in the womb, hospital staff noticed that she suddenly had a newborn baby girl in her possession. Suspicious of foul play, hospital staff, led by GGH gynecologist Professor Jayanthi, reported the matter to ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) officials, who in turn filed a complaint at the Kothapet police station.Upon investigation, police uncovered the full story. Lakshmi, a woman from Chinaganjam in Bapatla district, had given birth to a baby girl but tragically died during treatment at GGH two weeks earlier. Lakshmi, who already had eight children, left behind the baby, who was crying for milk and maternal care. Sensing an opportunity, Mirabi’s friend Prabhavathi approached Lakshmi’s husband, Subramaniam, and convinced him to sell the baby girl for ₹1.90 lakh due to the family’s difficult circumstances.Prabhavathi then brought the baby to Mirabi at GGH, intending to pass the child off as her own. However, hospital staff, growing suspicious, acted swiftly to alert authorities. During the investigation, police discovered the illegal transaction and promptly seized the child, placing her in a child welfare shelter center under ICDS care.The police have registered a case, treating the illegal purchase of a child as a serious crime. Both the individuals involved are now under investigation, with further legal action expected. This incident has raised significant concern about the growing issue of child trafficking in the region.