Chennai: Three women held, child rescued in suspected trafficking racket
CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Police (GCP) busted a suspected child trafficking racket in Puzhal on Friday, rescuing a child and detaining three women during a covert operation triggered by a tip-off from a local resident. All three will be formally arrested after inquiry.
According to police, one of the suspect Vidya (36) was nabbed after she arrived on a two-wheeler at Britannia Nagar near Kathirvedu in Puzhal with a male child, allegedly for sale. Acting on prior information, the police detained her. Based on her statement, Rathi Devi (39) and Deepa were picked up from a house in Menambedu near Ambattur. The duo is being questioned, the police said.
A police source said the case surfaced after one Karthik alerted the Puzhal police, claiming a woman had approached him with an offer to sell a child for Rs 12 lakh. Under police instructions, Karthik continued to engage with the suspect, who asked Rs 10 lakh for the child’s mother and Rs 2 lakh for herself, the police said. She agreed to deliver the child at a designated location, leading to her detention on Friday.
The police said initial inquiries revealed that Rathi Devi, separated from her husband, had planned to sell her own child due to financial distress, allegedly with the help of Vidya and Deepa. Officers also found multiple photos of children on Vidya’s phone, raising suspicions of a broader trafficking network, police said.
All three women are in custody as the police are questioning them separately to verify their claims and uncover possible links to other missing children. The rescued child has been handed over to the child welfare department, the police said.