Chandigarh: In a shocking case of child trafficking, Fatehgarh Sahib Police busted a baby smuggling racket in which a newborn child was sold for ₹5 lakh. Eight people, including a midwife, an ASHA worker, and a woman from Kolkata, have been arrested. The father of the child himself has been allegedly cheated with ₹1.5 lakh in counterfeit notes in the illegal deal.
The child was born on June 23 at Mandi Gobindgarh’s Deep Hospital, as told by police officials. The father, who was said to be financially strained, consented to give away the child to a middleman network purportedly operated by a midwife, Manjeet Kaur, at the urging of an ASHA worker and other middlemen.
The racket was uncovered when a complaint was filed by the District Child Protection Unit regarding the stolen baby. An investigation headed by SP (D) Rakesh Yadav and DSP Gurdeep Singh revealed an organised human trafficking network reaching as far as Kolkata. The police arrested Rupinder Kaur and Beant Singh, who had picked up the child from the hospital. The father was given ₹1.5 lakh in forged notes and realized he had been duped afterwards.
On the basis of tips, a group was dispatched to Kolkata where the infant was safely rescued from a woman who had invested ₹5 lakh to purchase the child. Three other individuals were nabbed in West Bengal. The infant has been placed under the protection of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
SP Rakesh Yadav has verified that eight arrests have been made so far. “The father, hospital midwife, and ASHA worker all conspired to sell the child. The buyer was traced in Kolkata, and the baby was safely recovered,” he stated.
Previous Similar Cases in Punjab
It’s not the first time that such an incident has shaken Punjab. There have been a few cases in recent years that show an entrenched web of infant trafficking involving health workers, low-income families, and clients from other states.
Patiala, December 2022
In Samana, Patiala, seven individuals were arrested by police for operating a child trafficking syndicate. They bought infants from poor women for ₹50,000 and sold them for ₹4–5 lakh. Two infants were found in the raid. The gang had also made a vehicle look like an ambulance to smuggle the infants.
Mohali, January 2023
A Mohali gang was found selling a 5-day-old baby. Four individuals were arrested. Investigations disclosed that the babies were obtained from rural Punjab and sold in cities for ₹3–5 lakh. A nurse and her husband were main players of the racket.
Ropar (Nangal Salempur), August 2024
Police busted a gang that included ASHA worker Kulwinder Kaur. A migrant parents’ newborn was trafficked with the coerced consent of the father. The family had been misled by the gang on the pretext that it was an adoption. The baby was recovered and cases were lodged under the Punjab Security of Children & Women Act, 2023.
Patiala, September 2024
Five individuals were apprehended for selling two newborn girls. One of the prime accused was a Moga-based nurse who used to sell infants to customers in Malerkotla and Haryana. The infants were 5 and 10 days old, respectively. The police acted on a tip-off and stepped in when the sale was halfway through.
Common Trends in the Cases
* Babies were typically purchased from financially struggling families at anywhere between ₹50,000 and resold for between ₹4 to ₹15 lakh.
* In a majority of cases, women were involved as middlemen—midwives, ASHA workers, and even nurses.
* Purchasers tended to come from outside Punjab, with Delhi and Kolkata being favorite places to visit.
* Inadequate documentation and absence of monitoring at private hospitals and clinics aided the traffickers in going unnoticed.
Current Investigation Status
In Fatehgarh Sahib, the arrested persons have been charged under IPC Sections 370 (human trafficking), 420 (cheating), and 468 (forgery), along with sections of the Juvenile Justice Act. All accused were produced before the magistrate and were sent to judicial custody.
DSP Gurdeep Singh also confirmed that more arrests are imminent as the police suspect that the same network is involved in previous cases as well. The district administration has directed a scrutiny of childbirth records in private hospitals and nursing homes.
