Mumbai: The Dharavi police have busted an alleged child trafficking racket and arrested five persons in connection with the sale of a 1.6-year-old boy. The child, who was allegedly sold multiple times and taken to Tamil Nadu, was rescued safely by the police.
Child Allegedly Sold By Dharavi Couple For ₹1.05 Lakh
According to the police, the child was initially sold by a couple from Dharavi for Rs1.05 lakh. The accused allegedly later sold him through a chain of intermediaries, eventually for Rs4.80 lakh to a childless couple in Tamil Nadu.
Family Member Raises Alarm After Child Goes Missing
According to the FIR, the complainant, Sunny Singh, 39, a security guard originally from Uttar Pradesh and residing in Goregaon, was informed by his mother on August 6 that his sister had allegedly slipped and fallen while carrying her young son during the morning rain. She reportedly claimed that the child had suffered a head injury and had been admitted to Sion Hospital.
Singh reached Sion Hospital at around 6 pm after completing his duty. However, he could not find his sister or her husband, and their mobile phones were switched off. Later, his brother-in-law called him and asked him to come to their Dharavi residence. Angered by the situation, Singh returned to Goregaon.
Woman Allegedly Claims Child Had Died
The following morning, Singh went to his sister's house and asked about the child. The couple allegedly claimed that the boy had died. However, on August 8, when Singh questioned his sister again, she allegedly confessed that the child had been sold to a woman named Rani on August 2 for Rs1.05 lakh.
Police Register Case Under Juvenile Justice Act
Singh subsequently took his sister and brother-in-law to the Dharavi police station and lodged a complaint. The police registered a case under Sections 75 and 81 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and launched an investigation.
A police team led by Police Inspector Sunil Mane, PSI Suraj Shinde, Pramod Salunkhe and other personnel, under the guidance of Assistant Commissioner of Police Ravidatt Sawant and the senior police inspector Uday Soyaskar of the Dharavi police station, began tracing the persons involved.
During the investigation, police arrested alleged woman intermediary Rani alias Shabnam Khan, 26. Her interrogation reportedly revealed the involvement of Deepak More, Zaida Khan, Priya Borhade and Akash Borhade. The group allegedly sold the child for Rs3 lakh to a man identified as Ramaswamy alias Anna, 52, from Karnataka.
Police Trace Chain Of Alleged Intermediaries
The police team travelled to Karnataka and arrested Anna. During interrogation, he allegedly revealed that the child had subsequently been sold for Rs4.80 lakh to Kannan Viriya alias Raju, 39, and his wife Priya Viriya, 38, in Tamil Nadu.
According to a police officer involved in the investigation, the couple had been unable to have a child for 16 years and allegedly came into contact with the accused before purchasing the child illegally.
Police said some of the accused were employed at an IVF centre. The investigation has revealed that the child was transported by bus through Karnataka to Tamil Nadu.
The police have arrested the persons allegedly involved in the transaction and are now investigating whether the accused are part of a larger organised network involved in the illegal buying and selling of children.
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