The police have arrested the Ludhiana couple who had reportedly adopted the 18-day-old infant by paying Rs 30,000 to a Mohali-based doctor on Thursday. The couple, identified as Yashpal and Deepali, who run a departmental store in Ludhiana, were booked for criminal conspiracy.

“Investigations are on and we are scrutinising the hospital records. The existence of an organised baby-selling racket cannot be ruled out at this stage,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (South) Jaswant Singh Khaira.

All the six accused in the case, including the couple, Dr Rashmi Jain who run Aditya Raj Hosptial in Mohali, hospital nurse Jaya, the women accused of kidnapping the baby, Rashmi, and her sister Kavita, have been remanded in police custody for two days.

Deepali and Yashpal told the police that in the absence of an offspring despite several years of marriage, they had decided to adopt an infant. “We told Jaya about this wish. She called us three days ago and asked us to come to Mohali to adopt a baby boy. She gave us some documents pertaining to the baby and took Rs 30,000 from us. We did not ask many questions and took the baby home,” the couple said.