Man held for human trafficking in Mirzapur; infant reunited with mother

Police here have arrested a man accused of human trafficking after he allegedly refused to return a month-old baby entrusted to him for care by its financially distressed mother, officials said on Friday.

According to a statement issued by the police, the case came to light when Jyoti Sonkar, from Settlement Area Parade Ground in the Chunar area, lodged a complaint on October 26.

She alleged that she had handed over her newborn to an acquaintance, Vikas Pandey, a resident of Ward Number 16, Saddupur, for temporary care due to financial hardship. However, when she asked for the child's return, the accused allegedly refused and threatened her, police said.

Based on her complaint, a case was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those for trafficking and intimidation, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Based on a tip-off, a police team arrested the accused on Friday and sent to jail after legal formalities.

Circle Officer (CO) Chunar Manjari Rao said the child has been reunited with the mother.

The woman, who already has six children, had initially given the infant to Pandey for care, but "he allegedly sold the child elsewhere and was avoiding returning him, which led to the complaint and subsequent arrest."  Further investigation into the case is underway, police said.