Bought in Gujarat, sold in Mumbai: Cops bust interstate baby trafficking racket
An inter-state child trafficking racket that bought newborn babies from poor families in Gujarat and sold them in Mumbai has been busted after the rescue
An inter-state child trafficking racket that bought newborn babies from poor families in Gujarat and sold them in Mumbai has been busted after the rescue of an eight-day-old infant, with investigators claiming at least four babies were trafficked in 45 days. The Vadodara City Crime Branch uncovered the network after intercepting a couple travelling with the newborn. The rescue has exposed what police described as a well-organised trafficking syndicate stretching across Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, involving brokers, transporters and buyers. Read Full Story According to police, the rescued baby boy was to be sold in Mumbai for Rs 3 lakh. The child's parents, reportedly from a financially distressed family in Sabarkantha district, were promised Rs 2 lakh, while middlemen and transporters were to receive commissions for facilitating the deal.
The operation began on the night of July 28, when the Crime Branch received a tip-off that a couple were transporting a newborn to Mumbai by bus with the intention of selling the child. Police intercepted the busand detained Manoj Rawal and his wife Veena, who were travelling with their eight-year-old son and the infant. Unable to satisfactorily explain the baby's identity, the couple was taken into custody while the newborn was shifted to a hospital for medical care. Police said the baby's delivery had been facilitated by Veena's brother, Sunil, and that the infant, born at Danta Hospital in Banaskantha district, was later handed over for trafficking after brokers allegedly exploited the parents' financial hardship.
The investigation revealed that Manoj and Veena Rawal had agreed to transport the child to Mumbai in return for a Rs 20,000 commission, while Sunil was to receive Rs 10,000. The couple was also given Rs 5,000 for travel expenses before boarding the bus to Mumbai. Police further claimed that the alleged kingpin in Mumbai, identified as Sohil Nadab, posed as a doctor but was actually an auto-rickshaw driver. He coordinated the operation through WhatsApp calls, directing the transporters to a location where the baby would be handed over to a female broker before eventually reaching a doctor in Mumbai. The probe has since uncovered evidence suggesting three more newborns from Banaskantha were trafficked to Mumbai within the past six weeks through different agents identified as Kavita, Sheetal and Pravina.
Vadodara Crime Branch Deputy Commissioner of Police Himanshu Verma said multiple investigation teams have been dispatched across Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan to trace the remaining members of the syndicate. He added that two key accused, originally from Modasa but currently based in Mumbai, are on the run. Police have also detained the rescued baby's parents for questioning and said DNA testing will be conducted to establish the child's identity. Once declared medically fit, the infant will be produced before the Child Welfare Committee and placed under its care. Ends
The BriefWire