A woman has been arrested in Siraha district after police found out that she had bought a stolen child for Rs Rs 250,000. Lila Devi Sah of Patair Rural Municipality in Siraha district has been accused of purchasing a seven-month-old baby that was stolen 18 days ago.

Dhanusha Police made four arrests in connection with the incident and handed over the baby to its mother on Sunday. Police said two others involved in the crime are on the run.

Investigations have revealed that the child was stolen on September 28 midnight when the mother Sunita Devi Yadav was asleep at her own home’s terrace with the baby in Parsa of Kamala Municipality-3.

The infant named Shubham Yadav was fifth child of Sunita.

Sunita’s husband Mahendra Yadav has gone abroad for employment. Their eldest son studies in grade nine.

SP Chakra Bahadur Singh made public three arrestees involved in the crime during a press conference on Sunday. He said the gang has one female member.

The gang members have been identified as Birendra Yadav and Radha Krishna Mandal of Kamala Municipality, Dilip Kumar Mandal of Siraha Municipality-10, Bala Pasman of Bideha Municipality and Lila Devi Sah who purchased the child.

The main accused Birendra Yadav and Bala Pasman are out of contact, police said. Birendra carried the child by climbing into the house’s terrace.

Driven by the desire to have a baby boy, Lila Devi, who is now in police custody, said that she has so far paid Rs 600,000 to Dilip to get a son. She has three children—all are girls. Her husband too is a migrant worker.