Interstate child selling racket busted in Telangana, 13 babies rescued

An interstate child selling racket has been busted with the arrest of 11 persons, who used to sell the infants in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a price ranging between Rs 1.80 lakh and Rs 5.50 lakh, police said on Tuesday. As many as 13 babies have been rescued.
 

The Rachakonda Police acted based on information that a racket was being run wherein infants brought in from different places including Delhi and Pune were being sold here and in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to childless couples.
 

The gang apparently lured poor families to part with their children.
 

Acting on specific information, police arrested three persons on May 22 and based on their confession, eight others were apprehended on Monday, Rachakonda Police Commissioner Tarun Joshi said.
 

During investigation, it was revealed the culprits got the babies from three people in Delhi and Pune and they are now absconding.
 

The arrested persons, who acted like agents and sub-agents, have said that nearly 50 babies were supplied to them by the absconding accused. The children were later sold to childless couples through other agents for a price ranging from Rs 1.80 lakh to Rs 5.50 lakh a baby, police said.

Till now, 13 babies--nine girls and four boys in the age group of one month to two years were rescued from the accused in coordination with the Child welfare Committee, police said.
 

"As per the investigation so far, the arrested persons are revealing the names of some other accused based in Delhi and Pune, who are absconding. Teams have been formed to nab them," another senior police official said.
 

It was revealed that the absconding accused used to lure the parents of the babies and bought their children and after passing two-three layers between agents, these children were sold to childless couples and to those couples, who did not wish to follow legal adoption procedure, police said.
 

On the modus operandi, the official said the accused collected information here from those seeking children and used to speak to their accomplices in Delhi and Pune and got the babies.
 

Some of the accused were involved in a similar crime earlier also and it seems they were part of the racket for the past two-three years, police said.
 

A case was registered under section 370 (human trafficking) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and those under the Juvenile Justice Act.
 

Further investigation was on.