SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2024
Team Herald
In a significant operation, the Organised Crime Wing (OCW) of Bengaluru City Police's Central Crime Branch (CCB) successfully dismantled a child trafficking racket originating from Tamil Nadu. The undercover operation led to the arrest of eight individuals, including seven women and their car driver, as they were on the brink of selling a 20-day-old baby boy to a childless couple in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, West Bengaluru.
Acting on credible information, CCB officials formed teams and strategically positioned themselves near the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Temple, awaiting the gang's illicit transaction. The interception occurred on Friday evening, with the CCB sleuths surrounding the vehicle carrying three women, a driver, and the infant. The timely intervention led to the rescue of the baby, subsequently handed over to Child Welfare Committee members.
Among the arrested individuals at the scene were Hemalatha Sathish, Sharanya, Murugeshwari, and driver Kannan Ramaswamy, hailing from Tamil Nadu. Further interrogation led to the identification of the alleged kingpin, Mahalakshmi, a 38-year-old resident of West Bengaluru, along with her associates Suhasini, Gomathi, and Radha. All suspects, including Mahalakshmi, were apprehended by Sunday.
The investigation unveiled a well-established network involving three hospitals, two in Bengaluru and one in Chennai. The gang had reportedly trafficked at least 10 babies, selling them to childless couples in Bengaluru for sums ranging from ₹8-10 lakh. The criminal enterprise had connections with doctors and hospital staff, including some from Tamil Nadu.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) R Srinivas Gowda revealed three distinct methods employed by the gang:
1. Identifying economically disadvantaged women as surrogate mothers, colluding with doctors for illegal insemination procedures.
2. Encouraging women seeking pregnancy termination to undergo delivery, arranging fake birth records, and selling the babies.
3. Convincing women unable to care for their newborns to part with them for a hefty sum, providing fake adoption documents to the purchasing couples.
Mahalakshmi, the alleged kingpin, reportedly formed the gang after selling three of her own children due to personal challenges. The 38-year-old mother of five collaborated with like-minded women after gaining financial resources, establishing the trafficking ring.
The Rajarajeshwari Nagar police have registered a case under Section 370 (trafficking of persons) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. The CCB police have confiscated mobile phones from all accused individuals, along with the vehicle used for the attempted sale of the 20-day-old baby boy.
