Five persons, including two women, were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly "selling" a 4-day-old girl in Ranga Reddy district of Telangana.

The girl's parents, who are from Devarkonda in Nalgonda district, had decided to give up their newborn, their third girl child. They contacted Shakri, a distant relative, for the purpose, said Inspector J Madan Mohan Reddy of Yacharam Police Station.

"Shakri acted as mediator...she informed Sunitha who arranged a childless couple who wanted to adopt the baby," he said 

However, the couple, who are from Visakhapatnam, were told that the baby's parents had demanded Rs 50,000, which they paid. Of the amount, the mediators gave Rs 10,000 to the parents, the police officer said.

After getting a tip-off about the transaction, police nabbed five persons including the two women mediators - Shakri and Sunitha - last night and recovered the baby, he said.

A case was registered against nine persons, including the parents and the couple who wanted to "adopt" the baby, under section 317 (exposure and abandonment of child by parents or persons having care of it) of IPC and the Juvenile Justice Act, Reddy said, adding the parents were not arrested and probe is on.