HYDERABAD: A joint investigation by the police and Child Welfare Committee members into a child trafficking case has revealed that childless couples were purchasing infants outright, though they were aware that what they were doing was illegal.
The Special Operations Team (SOT) of Malkajgiri, in collaboration with Chaitanyapuri police and Child Welfare Committee members, on Tuesday uncovered a child trafficking case in which prospective parents sought to purchase the infants.
The police had arrested the suspects involved in the transportation of the infants illegally from Gujarat to Hyderabad, as well as the couples who tried to purchase children.
The investigation revealed that some of the accused obtained infants from private individuals rather than through authorised government channels for supplying them to childless couples.
A similar case had been reported in May 2024 at the Medipally police station, where individuals approached the CWC for adoption but turned to illegal means due to delays in the official process.
“However, in the case busted on Tuesday by the Chaitanyapuri police, the adopting parents were fully aware that they were taking the babies illegally,” the official disclosed.
Police arrested two couples and one individual for purchasing infants illegally at rates of Rs. 1.5 lakh for a baby girl and Rs 2.5 lakh for a baby boy.
The investigation identified Vandana as the key suspect. She is alleged to have sent infants from Gujarat to Hyderabad along with Sunitha Suman and Savitri Devi. The babies were then handed over to Kola Krishnaveni, Deepthi, and Sampath Kumar by intermediaries including Sharada, Umarani, Jayasree, Sravan, and Soni Keerthi. The infants were sold to prospective adopting parents, with the proceeds divided among those involved.
The accused used public transport — trains and buses — to move the children from Gujarat until they reached the adopting parents in Hyderabad. “They relied on trains and buses to move the children until the babies were handed over to the adopting parents,” the official stated. The police are now searching for Vandana, the alleged mastermind behind the illicit supply of infants from Gujarat.