The authorities in Bengaluru (Rural) on Saturday prevented what might have been the brutal sacrifice of an eight-month-old baby for wealth.
According to reports, the horrific act was to take place at the house of a man named Syed Imran, residing in the Sulibele village of Hoskote, Bengaluru (Rural).
He and his wife had allegedly adopted the baby from a migrant worker nearly a year ago, as per a News18 Kannada report.
Since the adoption was not done via legal means, Imran and his wife reportedly got a fake birth certificate made in the baby boy's name, and retained an agreement they had made with the boy's biological father.
On Saturday (a full-moon night), an anonymous caller phoned Childline (1098), claiming that a child sacrifice was going to take place, and urged the authorities to quickly take action.
A District Child Protection Unit, as well as Childline officials, quickly got to work, tracing Imran's house and raiding it.
They reportedly found a small hole dug in the living room, in addition to ritual materials like incense, flowers, and other items. They also found the baby boy, and quickly took him into their custody.
Officials later confirmed that the infant was stable and undergoing a medical check-up, and that all precautions were being taken to keep him safe.
The Child Protection and Welfare Committee (CWC) has opened a probe into the incident, which includes an examination of the child-buying allegations and existing blind faith practices.
The incident has also gravely shocked the people of Sulibele, who have expressed their outrage at the gruesome idea, and called for a police probe into the incident that might have been a major tragedy.
