Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a major breakthrough, Sheopur police have rescued another girl from an alleged child trafficking racket. The latest rescue was carried out on Monday from Mahalaxmi Nagar in Indore, where a nearly three-year-old girl was found in the custody of a beauty parlour operator.
Police said the suspect, Neeta Jain, had allegedly illegally adopted the child, now aged around three years, about one-and-a-half years ago. During questioning, she admitted that she wanted a girl and had obtained the toddler through unauthorised means. The rescued child has been handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Indore.
Police said both the first rescued child and the second toddler belong to villages in Khargone district. A team has been sent to trace their biological parents. Further investigation revealed the involvement of a larger trafficking network.
Police subsequently arrested Neeta Jain, her husband Vaibhav Jain, and two women from Khargone and Dhar districts who were mediators. While Akash and Kritika have been sent to judicial custody till May 11, the remaining four suspects are currently under police remand for further questioning. Additional Superintendent of Police Sheopur Praveen Bhuria said efforts were on to dismantle the entire network and identify the children s biological families.
How the case surfaced
The case came to light earlier this month when a baby girl was found abandoned along National Highway 552 under Soi Kalan police station limits on April 18. Acting on a tip-off, police rescued the infant and informed the Child Welfare Committee.
Later, a caregiver from Bhopal identified the baby through social media photographs and alerted police. This breakthrough led to the arrest of Rajgarh residents Akash Mundra and his wife Kritika from Bhopal, who allegedly abandoned the infant. During interrogation, the couple reportedly confessed that they had purchased the baby for Rs1 lakh when she was only six days old. However, they later tortured the child and abandoned her, considering her inauspicious.
