New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday busted a human trafficking gang and arrested ten of its members for allegedly stealing and selling infants to childless couples.
Police have recovered six children based on information provided by the accused. The gang reportedly sold each child for between one and two lakh rupees.
According to Hemant Tiwari, DCP of the South East District, police received a complaint on August 22 at the New Friends Colony police station.
The complainant, Suresh, a resident of Uttar Pradesh (UP), stated that he, his wife, and their four children—including a six-month-old infant—were sleeping at the Sarai Kale Khan Bus Stand while waiting for a bus to UP.
“When Suresh woke up during the night, he discovered that his six-month-old baby was missing,” said the DCP.
A police team searched the entire area but found nothing. Upon examining CCTV footage, they identified two suspects stealing the baby. However, the trail went cold beyond the bus stand.
Using technical analysis and mobile phone data, the police traced a suspect number to Fatehabad, UP. A raid was conducted in Pinhut village, Agra district, leading to the detention of Veerbhan and his father-in-law, Kali Charan.
The suspects initially denied involvement, but a search of their house recovered the cell phone that had been active at the Sarai Kale Khan Bus Stand. During interrogation, they confessed to their role in the trafficking ring.
Their statements led police to another accused, Chander Bhan, and a doctor named Kamlesh, who owned a nursing home.
“Since Kamlesh was a practising doctor, our Inspector Rajender Dagar feigned a heart attack. When Doctor Kamlesh came to attend to him, he was apprehended,” the official said.
The investigation then identified a key middleman, Sundar, a medical representative who coordinated between sellers and buyers. He frequented small clinics where couples sought abortions. In cases where abortion was not possible, Sundar would sell the newborns.
The probe further uncovered two more doctors—Priti Sharma and Krishna Sharma—who are real sisters. They were detained during a police raid. Their mother worked as a dai (a midwife).
“They told police they had sold a five-month-old baby in Nainital. When we recovered the child, it was one year old,” the official said.
This information led to the arrest of another suspect, Ritu. Krishna Sharma then revealed that a woman named Jyotsna was also involved. Jyotsna was subsequently arrested; she had sold a two-month-old baby to a couple, Rachita Mittal and Nikhil, in Agra.
Police said they have recovered six children so far and learnt that the accused have also sold babies in Hyderabad and Chennai.
