VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakhapatnam city police have busted an inter-state gang involved in the kidnapping and selling of infants, arresting 17 individuals and rescuing six infants from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The gang members have connections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Delhi, and other states.
Addressing the press on Monday, Commissioner of Police (CP) Shanka Brata Bagchi provided details on the operation. He stated that the investigation was initiated following complaints lodged at Gajuwaka and Three Town Police Stations last week. The investigation revealed that the gang operated across multiple States.
The special task force caught two men attempting to sell a five-month-old infant at Harbour Park near Jagannadha Swamy temple in Vizag. The interrogation of the suspects led to the arrest of seven more accomplices. Cases have been registered against them under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act.
In a related development, a woman from Vijayawada was detained for purchasing a 15-month-old baby from Delhi and attempting to sell the child in Vizag through intermediaries. Further investigations resulted in the arrest of two more individuals from Kadapa who were also involved in selling children. The police rescued infants from Marturu village in Anakapalli, Achyutapuram, Pedda Narava in AP, and Jeypore in Odisha.
The CP said the gang specifically targeted vulnerable groups, including minor girls, widows, and economically disadvantaged families, to illegally acquire infants. The infants were then sold for amounts ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh in various cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Vijayawada, with Visakhapatnam being a primary market.
In response to these findings, Bagchi recommended heightened security measures at maternity and neonatal care centres across the city. In a letter to the District Collector, he outlined the need for the installation of CCTV cameras, 24x7 monitoring from a central control room, and the use of Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags for both mothers and newborns in Neonatal Care Units.
Notices will be issued to the management of these centres under the Andhra Pradesh Public Safety (Measures) Enforcement Act (2013), mandating the implementation of these security measures to prevent further incidents.