Punjab: Gang involved in ‘sale’ of newborn babies busted, 4 held
Punjab: Gang involved in ‘sale’ of newborn babies busted, 4 held
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Police said that the gang used to ‘buy’ newborn babies from poor couples like labourers, daily wagers and sell them to childless couples and other needy families who used to pay them hefty amounts. (Representational)
The Ludhiana Rural police have busted an inter-state gang of child traffickers who allegedly used to buy and sell newborn babies in states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Four accused, including the kingpin Labh Singh have been arrested, while one woman is still absconding. The five accused include four women.
Police said that the gang used to ‘buy’ newborn babies from poor couples like labourers, daily wagers and sell them to childless couples and other needy families who used to pay them hefty amounts.
During interrogation, the accused also told police that they used to charge higher rates for ‘arranging’ baby boys. While baby girls were ‘sold’ for Rs 40,000-50,000, the rate for boys was at least Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh due to ‘more demand’, revealed sources. Also, rates were higher for boys as parents would not agree to sell them whereas it was easier to convince in case of baby girls, the accused told police during interrogation.
The accused would also allegedly take signatures/thumb impressions of parents on blank papers. Till now, the accused have confessed to selling at least eleven babies.
The police arrested the accused near Sherpur Chowk of Jagraon Sunday late when they were on their way to ‘deliver’ a three-day old baby girl to a ‘customer’. They had got the baby from Panjkosi in Abohar and deal with customer was struck for Rs 50,000. The police, however, nabbed them on the way and baby was handed over to a shelter home on the orders of Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on Monday.
The arrested accused were identified as: Labh Singh from Sadhuwala of Ferozepur, Rachna from Jagat Singh Wala of Muktsar, Randeep Kaur from Nazu Shah Wala of Ferozepur, her daughter-in-law Rajwant Kaur and Suman from Fazilka. Four accused have been arrested while Suman is still absconding. Police said that Suman had ‘arranged’ the recovered baby girl from Abohar for further sale in Jagraon.
Labh Singh was the main middlemen who used to mediate between four women and ‘coordinate’ sale and purchase of babies. Rachna, a housewife used to find needy and poor parents and offer them money to sell their babies. Randeep Kaur and her daughter in law Rajwant Kaur used to arrange ‘customers’ and acted as suppliers. They would find customers and finalise rates with them. Labh Singh worked as a part time compounder at a clinic in Ferozepur while all other women accused are homemakers.
Jagraon DSP (Investigation) Amandeep Singh said: “They used to sell baby girls for Rs 40,000-50,000 whereas rates for baby boys were three times and they were sold for Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh.”
He added: “They have also revealed during interrogation that they would get signatures or thumb impressions of poor parents on blank papers to prepare fake documents. This angle is still being investigated.” Acording to the DSP, “In Punjab, they have sold babies in Jalandhar, Pathankot, Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur. Also, they sold babies in border districts of Haryana and Rajasthan.”
The accused have been booked under section 370 (trafficking of persons) of IPC and section 81 of the Justice Juvenile Act in and FIR registered at Jagraon City police station.
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