Hyderabad: A joint investigation by the police and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members has revealed that childless couples were illegally purchasing infants, fully aware that their actions were against the law.
The Special Operations Team (SOT) of Malkajgiri, in coordination with Chaitanyapuri police and CWC officials, uncovered the racket on Tuesday. The investigation found that infants were being transported illegally from Gujarat to Hyderabad and sold to prospective parents.
Police have arrested two couples and an individual for buying infants at Rs 1.5 lakh for a baby girl and Rs 2.5 lakh for a baby boy. The investigation further revealed that some of the accused bypassed legal adoption channels and obtained babies from private individuals.
A similar case had been reported in May 2024 at the Medipally police station, where individuals who approached the CWC for adoption turned to illegal means due to delays in the official process. However, in the current case, officials confirmed that the adopting parents knowingly participated in the illegal purchase of babies.
Key accused Identified
Investigators have identified Vandana as the prime suspect, allegedly orchestrating the supply of infants from Gujarat to Hyderabad. She was assisted by Sunitha Suman and Savitri Devi, who transported the babies and handed them over to Kola Krishnaveni, Deepthi, and Sampath Kumar through intermediaries Sharada, Umarani, Jayasree, Sravan, and Soni Keerthi.
The accused used public transport, including trains and buses, to smuggle the infants into Hyderabad. “They relied on trains and buses until the babies reached the adopting parents,” a police official stated.
Authorities are now intensifying efforts to track down Vandana, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the illegal supply of infants from Gujarat.
