Kerala Police have uncovered an alleged human trafficking racket operating from a secluded house in Kottayam district, where pregnant women from other states were allegedly lured with promises of shelter and care before their newborns were sold, officials said.
The operation came to light after a 22-year-old pregnant woman from Assam approached the police with a complaint. Acting swiftly, the Erattupetta police arrested two prime suspects—Raja, a native of Tamil Nadu, and his brother-in-law, Arjun.
According to reports, the woman had left her marital home in Assam after refusing pressure from her in-laws to abort her second pregnancy. Vulnerable and without support, she was allegedly targeted through social media by members of the trafficking network posing as charity workers offering accommodation and prenatal assistance.
Trusting their assurances, she was brought to Teekoy in Kottayam and housed in an isolated rented residence owned by a local resident. What initially appeared to be a safe refuge soon turned into an ordeal.
Police alleged that the suspects later pressured the woman to surrender her baby immediately after childbirth. When she refused, they allegedly assaulted and threatened her.
The woman eventually escaped the house and was found wandering by local residents, who alerted the authorities. She was then shifted to Santhwanam Care Home in Kottayam, where she narrated her ordeal, prompting a formal police investigation.
During questioning, the woman told police that she was not the only victim. She alleged that at least two other pregnant women were being held at the same house with the intention of selling their newborns.
Preliminary findings indicate that the women were brought to Kottayam by agents based in Thiruvananthapuram. Investigators believe the operation had been running discreetly for more than a month without raising suspicion among neighbours.
Given the seriousness of the case and the possibility of a wider trafficking network, senior police officials have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to carry out a comprehensive probe.
