Child trafficking: DNA samples of rescued children, parents collected
Chandigarh police collected the DNA samples of two rescued babies and their actual parents to establish their relationship. The samples were collected at GMSH-16 and then sent for DNA profiling to CFSL in Sector 36. Two policemen had procured the child from an alleged child trafficking gang after paying money.
Five members of the gang, including three women and two men, are in police custody. While the parents of the rescued children have recorded their statements before a local court. Sources said, the parents have claimed that the gang members, including two ASHA workers, had misguided them about their children immediately after the birth. One of the parents, sources said, claimed in her statement that ASHA worker, Sarabjeet Kaur, misguided them that she gave the birth to twins and one of them was born dead. The statement further recorded that Sarabjeet Kaur had taken away the other child claiming that the condition of the child was not good and she would take the child for further medical checkup.
The five members of the gang in police custody include two ASHA workers, one Sector 45-based woman, Bhawna, and two men including a Punjab police constable. They were arrested with a kidnapped child near Airport light point on August 3. They came to Chandigarh to sell the male child for Rs four lakh. Police had negotiated a deal with the gang through a decoy customer.
A police officer said, “We traced the parents of the male child at Malerkotla in Sangrur. Later, a girl was also rescued, following the disclosure of the gang members. The girl had been sold to a couple for Rs one lakh. We also traced the parents of the girl child. Parents of both the children recorded their statements before the magistrate. The DNA samples of the children and parents were collected. Indeed, poverty is also one of the reasons behind this racket. Police department is considering legal action against the couple who had paid money to the accused for procuring the girl child, a fortnight back. The result of the DNA samples will come after at least one month. The accused searched for childless couples, approached them, negotiated and sold the children.”
The two ASHA workers have been identified as Sarabjeet Kaur of Sangrur and Kuldeep Kaur of Patiala district. The other accused Bhawna is from Punjab and lives at a rented accommodation in Sector 45, Chandigarh. Police said the Punjab police constable held in the case, Amarjeet Singh, is a resident of Kharar in Mohali. Another accused, Mandeep Singh of Ludhiana, is the brother of accused Sarabjeet Kaur.
The accused were sent for seven days police remand, till August 11.
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