Gang trafficking infants busted

The Delhi Police claimed to have busted a pan-India gang involved in buying and selling of newborn children with the arrest of 10 persons, including a doctor, a medical representative (MR) and eight others.

The accused were allegedly trafficking infants below the age of three by either kidnapping them from busy places or illegally purchasing them from unmarried couples and further selling them to couples desirous of adopting babies, the police said on Monday.

The accused have been identified as Kamlesh Kumar, a doctor running a private clinic in Fatehabad, UP, Krishna Sharma and Preeti Sharma, both sisters, one a BAMS doctor and another pursuing the same degree, and Sundar, a medical representative, among others.

While addressing a press conference, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said the gang was unearthed after they received a complaint on August 22. The complainant, Suresh, told the police that he, along with his wife and four children, was travelling from UP to Behror in Rajasthan.

When they stopped at the Sarai Kale Khan ISBT in Southeast Delhi to change bus, their six-month-old child went missing. Based on the complaint, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed comprising SI Rajender Singh Dagar and his team, Tiwari added.

Based on the CCTV footage, the team confirmed that the toddler was stolen by two persons. A suspected mobile number was traced to Pinahat Dehat, Fatehabad, UP, and a raid was conducted.

During the raid, the police arrested Veerbhan, who along with his father-in-law Kalicharan, stole the child from the Sarai Kale Khan ISBT. During interrogation, they confessed that the act was carried out on the instructions of his relative Rambaran and sold the child to Dr Kamlesh.

The trail led the police to a private hospital. A cop pretending to be a patient entered the premises and insisted treatment from Dr Kamlesh to lure him into the trap. The doctor, who further sold the child to Sundar, was subsequently arrested.

On the instance of Sundar, the kidnapped child was recovered from the residence of Krishna and Preeti.

The sisters, who were also arrested, disclosed that the kidnapped child was to be sold to another gang member Jyotsna through mediator Ritu. They disclosed that they had sold another child to a couple in Nainital, who was also traced. Based on technical surveillance, the police traced Ritu and apprehended her.

The police said Sundar was the kingpin of the gang. He was previously involved in a case under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994.

He used to source children from unmarried couples, who came for illegal abortions, and sold them to couples desirous of adopting babies. He also used to forge adoption papers and cheat the couple, the DCP added.

Tiwari said the gang used to purchase children from such couples and sold them at prices ranging from Rs 1.80 lakh to Rs 7.50 lakh.