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Police arrests one more accused in Bengaluru child selling racket
Bengaluru police on Tuesday announced the arrest of seven people for allegedly running an illegal racket that bought and sold newborns
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police on Wednesday arrested another suspect in connection with the racket involved in selling newborns, bringing the total number of individuals arrested to eight, police officers familiar with the matter said, adding that the suspect identified as Ramya, taken into custody from Hebbal in the city, was implicated in the case based on the information disclosed by other suspects.
Bengaluru police on Tuesday announced the arrest of seven people for allegedly running an illegal racket that bought and sold newborns, saying that they would target poor women from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, pay them to bear children and later sell them to childless couples for as much as ₹8 lakh-10 lakh.
The investigation has revealed that the suspects in custody, formerly employed as agents for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), found themselves jobless following the tightening of regulations under the Surrogacy Act. Following this, they established their own network and initiated their operations, police said.
Operating in a calculated manner, the accused had established connections with receptionists in various hospitals and obtained data on couples experiencing difficulties in conceiving. Subsequently, they used to reach out to these couples, striking deals for the illegal sale of infants, said police.
“The gang targeted women seeking abortions. The accused approached these women, persuading them to give birth in exchange for money. Since the suspect had experience in the industry, they knew where to look,” said a senior CCB officer.
“They also provided accommodations and support to women during childbirth. Once the baby was delivered, images used to be circulated among couples seeking to adopt, and upon finalisation, the accused used to execute the sale. In some cases, women from poor families were approached with an offer to get pregnant in exchange for money,” the officer added.
Bengaluru city police commissioner B Dayananda said that four hospitals were associated with the racket, including three already shuttered by the authorities. “We suspect some doctors and hospital staff may have been complicit in the criminal activities. We are probing this,” he said.
The suspects are allegedly involved in the sale of at least 10 infants. The arrests followed the rescue of a 20-day-old baby boy, who, the police said, was to be sold to a couple in Rajarajeshwarinagar.
“The police approached the car they were travelling in, based on a tipoff on November 24. They tried to escape but, were taken into custody. During the interrogation, the racket came to light,” the officer said.
In connection with an investigation into sex determination and female foeticide racket, Dayananda said that over the past three months, the accused have been linked to 242 illegal abortions. “We are probing how many such abortions they have carried out over the years,” he said.
The incident came to light on October 15, when Byappanahalli police, engaged in a routine vehicle checking drive, noticed suspicious behaviour from a car. Upon attempting to stop the vehicle, the suspects evaded the police, leading to a pursuit and subsequent apprehension.
Dayananada said that suspects had kept records of 242 illegal abortions of female foetuses over the last three months in a register. “As per they records they charged fees ranging from ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 for each abortion, and an additional ₹5,000 for sex determination,” he added.
Dayananda added that ultrasound scanning machines are required to be entrusted to registered doctors with permission from the District Health Officer (DHO) or relevant authorities, and there were evident violations of these guidelines. “The police are investigating whether any officials were involved in granting permission for the accused to use the ultrasound machines,” he said.
