Child trafficking racket busted, Woman doctor arrested

Kolkata: A woman doctor has been arrested from Hooghly in West Bengal for her alleged involvement in a child trafficking racket. According to police, the arrest came after a complaint was filed, leading to the rescue of two minor children.

The accused was identified as Reshma Santoshkumar Banerjee (43).

Police said the case goes back to August 5, 2024, when a 65-year-old man, Amar Dhiren Sardar, lodged a missing person complaint about his son-in-law Anil Purvayya and his two-year-old grandson, news agency UNI reported.

During the investigation, the police discovered that Anil Purvayya had allegedly sold his minor son for ₹1.6 lakh with the help of three individuals -- Asma Shaikh, Sharif Shaikh, and Asha Pawar.

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Anil and Asma were arrested in Mumbai, and their interrogation revealed Asha Pawar’s involvement. She was arrested in Hyderabad and confessed that on July 9, 2024, the child was sold at Bhubaneswar railway station to a doctor named Reshma, with assistance from the other accused, police said.

Technical analysis traced Reshma to various hospitals in Bhubaneswar, including Hi-Tech Dental Hospital and SUM Hospital, but she had left both jobs by the time police arrived.

Her location was tracked to Hubli, Kolkata (West Bengal) and a team of Mumbai police arrested her with the trafficked child and another unidentified 3-year-old girl, police said.

She was presented before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Serampore, and a transit remand was obtained. The rescued children were produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Hubli. One child was handed over to the Mumbai Police team, while the unidentified girl was placed in a shelter home.

In Mumbai, the accused was produced before a local court that remanded her in judicial custody.

Also Read:Maha: Doctor among 4 arrested for allegedly trying to sell baby for Rs 5 lakh