Missionaries of Charity baby-selling scandal: Modus Operandi exposed

The Roman Catholic Church backed the nun at Ranchi’s Missionaries of Charity home arrested for selling four babies, a few days ago after which the police put out a video of the nun confessing to her role in the racket. In a short clip, Sister Konsalia says three babies had been had been sold but the fourth infant, was given away for adoption for free.

#WATCH: A nun of Missionaries of Charity says," I have sold two more babies. I don't know where they are now." She is one of the two nuns who was arrested by Ranchi police on charges of child trafficking on July 9. Police say '3 out of 4 children have been recovered.' #Jharkhand pic.twitter.com/V9DO2pQrbW

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2018

According to Republic World, the modus of operandi as per the confessions in the videos is as follows:

STEP 1: SINGLE PREGNANT WOMAN COMES TO MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY
In the first clip, when the nun, Sister Koncilia, was asked about the sale of the babies, she said one of the sold babies’ mother, a single pregnant woman, came to the Missionaries of the Charity home.

“Karishma (baby’s mother’ came on March 19, 2018, she came to our home (Missionaries of charity, Jail road). Baby’s mother came to me and was crying. She said ‘nobody will help my child. Where will I go to study?,” said the nun.

STEP 2: SISTER TELLS MISSIONARIES’ STAFFER ABOUT AVAILABILITY OF NEWBORN
“I told Anima (the Missionary staffer) that Karishma would get money. So, Anima arranged it. I don’t know anything more. I don’t even know where it was done. I came to know a few days back that child was given to the couple. I didn’t know about Rs 1 lakh 20 thousand. I only knew about Rs 90,000,” said the accused nun.

STEP 3: MISSIONARIES’ STAFFER FINDS PRIVATE ‘CUSTOMER’ THROUGH GUARD
In the second clip, the Missionaries of Charity, Anima, reveals that the newborns were sold through the guard of the charity home. When Anima was asked by the interrogator through whom she sold the babies, she said:

“We sold the baby through the guard. Nobody else was involved. Just the girl, guard and I.”

STEP 4: CWC DOCUMENTS FUDGED BY MISSIONARIES’ BABY-SELLERS
In her confession, the accused nun, sister Koncilia admits that instead of sending the newborn baby to the Child Welfare Committees (CWC), they sold it to a couple.

“She delivered a child on May 1st. The baby was born in sadar hospital. They were discharged 2 days later and came to our home. They were with us till May 22nd. Then she gave a statement that she is handing over the child to missionaries and she signed it. Then the child was supposed to be sent to CWC with our staff. But, the child wasn’t sent to CWC and was sold to a couple. We didn’t know that our staff didn’t go to CWC. We came to know last Saturday,” said the accused nun.

STEP 5: NEWBORN SOLD FOR RS. 1.20 LAKH VIA GUARD & STAFFER
In the confession tapes, the nuns and the missionary staffer confessed that the babies were sold with a whopping price tag on them.

In one of the tapes, Anima says that she has “sold 3 newborns” so far and that she sold one of them to a UP couple for “Rs 1 lakh 20 thousands”, adding that the babies were sold “though the guard.”

STEP 6: MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY’S STAFFER DIVIDES PROFITS FROM SALE
In the clip of the the nun who the baby sellers confessed to, she reveals that the profits from the sale of the babies was divided among the racket.

“I questioned my staff but they weren’t ready to speak. But I forced them to reveal where the child was sold. I told them I won’t let them go till they reveal the truth. Then, she told me that she and the nun found a family and gave away the child. She told us that the baby was sold for Rs 1 lakh. Then I asked what did you do with the money? She said ‘I gave Rs 10,000 to the guard and Rs 90,000 to the sister. After that I don’t know what happened with the money.’ I asked her ‘did you get any money?’ she said ‘I didn’t take anything. I didn’t get anything.’ I informed the higher authorities. Then, I said get the child back. We asked, where was the child given? What place? Go ask the guard. Tell the couple, who got the child, to return it. The couple returned it,” said the nun.

3 out of 4 children have been recovered. Both the nuns have been taken into custody. Further investigation underway: Ashish Gupta, SSP Ranchi on two nuns of Missionaries of Charity arrested on charges of child trafficking #Jharkhand pic.twitter.com/HYqBkGfG66

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2018

As per reports, 450 pregnant women were brought to Missionaries of Charity hospitals, but the organisation founded by St. Mother Teresa could furnish only childbirth records of 170 babies which means that the records of a whopping 280 newborns in India are untraceable to this point. According to the police, the racket involved the illegal trade and trafficking of children.