Following a raid in the Keshav Puram area of Delhi, the CBI presented all 7 suspects, tied to a human trafficking gang, in court and secured a four-day custody. Among the arrested are hospital ward boys and several women and men.
According to the investigation so far, these individuals did not steal children from hospitals but instead, purchased them from consenting poor families or those in dire need of money. Furthermore, these children were often 'reserved' in advance and later sold to childless couples. The CBI is currently delving into the backgrounds of the rescued children.
Initially, it was believed that the group was stealing infants directly from hospitals. This theory is being scrutinized during interrogations, and there may be further revelations as the investigation progresses. The CBI may extend its raids to other states as part of this case.
Rescued children include a newborn only 36 hours old
A joint operation by the CBI and local police on Friday in Keshav Puram resulted in a two-day raid and the rescue of 7 to 8 infants under the age of 10, including one barely 36 hours old and another 15 days old.
Advertisements for children were circulated on social media
The CBI has found that the accused had been advertising on social media platforms, like Facebook pages and WhatsApp groups, to connect with childless couples eager to adopt. These transactions also involved purported surrogate mothers.
Infants sold between 4 to 6 lakh rupees
The accused would then sell these newborn babies for amounts ranging from 4 to 6 lakh rupees. It is alleged that they also engaged in creating false documents related to adoption, defrauding many childless couples for large sums of money.
