Delhi Police bust inter-state child trafficking racket at private hospital, 13 arrested
Hospital Owner Among 13 Held in Delhi Child Trafficking Racket
New Delhi: A private hospital in north-west Delhi's Begumpur has come under the scanner after Delhi Police busted an alleged inter-State child-trafficking racket being operated from the facility, rescuing five infants and arresting 13 individuals, including the hospital owner.
The case came to light on June 5 after a resident of Paharganj alerted police about a woman who was allegedly seen carrying different infants over a span of two weeks. Acting on the tip-off, investigators analysed CCTV footage and launched a decoy operation to verify the claims.
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According to the news reports, an undercover officer posed as a prospective buyer and established contact with the suspects. During the operation, the woman allegedly agreed to hand over an infant after receiving an advance payment of Rs 20,000. Police arrested three accused during the handover and rescued a four-to five-day-old infant.
Subsequent interrogation of the accused led investigators to other members of the network, including a freelance laboratory technician at the Hospital, a driver, and the owner of the private hospital, who police have identified as the alleged mastermind behind the operation. Additional arrests were made, and all accused have been booked under charges related to human trafficking and provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act.
According to police, the trafficking network had been operating for nearly one-and-a-half years and is suspected to have trafficked at least 30 infants during that period. Investigators said the accused allegedly purchased newborn babies from vulnerable families and sold them to childless couples for substantial profits.
“They bought a girl child for around Rs 1 lakh and a boy child for up to Rs 2 lakh. They then sold the girls for Rs 3-4 lakh and boys for Rs 6-8 lakh,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh, adding that three couples who bought the infants have also been arrested, reports The Hindu.
Investigators further revealed that the hospital owner allegedly forged birth certificates and delivery records to facilitate illegal adoptions and conceal the origins of the children.
Three dedicated police teams have been constituted to trace other infants who may have been trafficked through the network. Speaking to TNIE, a police official said, “All rescued babies have been placed under the care of the Child Welfare Committee as investigations continue to identify their biological parents and uncover the full extent of the trafficking network.”
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