Chandigarh businessman lied about his wife's pregnancy

CHANDIGARH: Businessman Anurag Gupta of Chandigarh, who was arrested along with his wife Komal Gupta for allegedly buying a kidnapped infant, had reportedly informed his tenants and neighbours that his wife was expecting a child. He recently announced that she was blessed with a baby boy.

His wife Komal had been not been staying at his house in Sector 32, Chandigarh, for the last five months. The Guptas along with six others, including the sister of Komal and Dimple Jain of Ambala, were arrested by

Patiala

police for abducting and buying an infant boy.

Accused Anurag owns a small scale steel industrial unit in Zirakpur and had three daughters from his wife Komal. Two floors of Gupta's three-storey house in Sector 32 have been rented to PGs.

One of Gupta's tenants out of nine, requesting anonymity, told TOI, "The house owner told us that his wife was expecting a child and had gone to her parents settled in Ambala and Patiala. Recently, he announced that he was blessed with a baby boy. He has three daughters. He even distributed sweets among his tenants who are residing as paying guests (PGs) at his house." A visit to Gupta's house revealed his family, comprising his aged mother and three daughters, had shifted to some other place. The ground floor of the house was locked.

Sources in Patiala police said, "The abducted infant was recovered from Ambala. When he was recovered, he was well-dressed, and being cared by Komal. The couple confessed to adopt that method to get a male child. Anurag had paid Rs 40,000 in advance to three women and rest of the money, Rs 4.60 lakh was handed over to them after getting the boy."

Sources also informed that the couple claimed during their interrogation that they had been visited a number of shrines, religious places and hospitals in the hope of a male child but failed. Patiala SSP Gurmit Singh Chauhan said key accused Virender Khanna alias Neetu had been earlier involved in some cases of thefts.