The Vadavalli police in Coimbatore arrested on Friday eight persons, including three couples, on the charge of illegally donating and adopting a female child last month.

The arrested have been identified as Shankar, 43, of Thirupattur, his wife Shivasakthi, 40, her brother Arun, who works in Coimbatore, Charles of Coimbatore, his wife Selvirani, her friend Venkateswari, a young woman from the Nilgiris and her male friend – the parents of the newborn.

The police said that Shankar and Shivasakthi wanted to adopt a child and the woman asked her brother Arun to look for a child for adoption in Coimbatore. After hearing the request from Arun, his friend Charles asked his wife Selvarani, who worked as a security guard at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH), to look for a child for adoption. Selvarani in turn informed the matter to another security guard Venkateswari, who also worked at CMCH.

According to the police, Venkateswari met a young unmarried woman, who gave birth to a girl child at the hospital early last month. Venkateswari helped Shankar and Shivasakthi illegally adopt the infant from the young woman and her male friend, through Charles, Selvarani and Arun, after getting discharged from the hospital.

However, a village health nurse, who works at the village of the young woman, learnt about the illegal adoption and alerted the Childline, which in turn alerted the District Child Protection Unit, Coimbatore, and other officials concerned.

An officer from Vadavalli station said that a complaint was received on the illegal adoption and the eight accused were arrested on Friday. Before approaching the police, the District Child Protection Unit rescued the newborn and shifted it to a home at Kinathukadavu, after producing before the Child Welfare Committee, said the officer.

The police said the newborn died at the home a few days ago. The police and the district administration have launched a detailed investigation into the incident.