Dharamshala (HP), Feb 21 (PTI) The Himachal Police has busted a gang involved in trafficking of newborns under the guise of facilitating adoption and arrested two people from Punjab and detained another, officials said on Saturday.
During the operation, a team from Kangra police also rescued a minor, they said.
Dehra Superintendent of Police Mayank Choudhary said a complaint was lodged by Rohit Rana on Tuesday in which he alleged that a person named Deepak Anand had cheated him of Rs 23,500 on the pretext of arranging the adoption of a newborn. An FIR was immediately registered.
Subsequently, the location of the accused was traced to Punjab’s Jalandhar.
A special team conducted a targeted operation and apprehended Deepak Anand from Jalandhar who was later remanded to five days of police custody by a court for further interrogation, the police said.
Further investigation revealed that Deepak was working as an agent for a Punjab-based gang involved in trafficking of babies.
Elaboration on the gang’s modus operandi, the police said Deepak used to identify and contact childless couples and connected them with gang members operating from Punjab. And the gang used to get infants through illegal means and give them to the couples in exchange of money.
The team also arrested another gang member, a woman, from Punjab’s Batala, for her active involvement in the trafficking network. Another woman, identified as Anita from Jalandhar, has also been detained.
During the operation, the police also rescued a minor. The child has been handed over to a Special Adoption Agency to ensure proper care, protection, and legal safeguards, they said.
Further investigation in underway to identify and apprehend other members of the gang and to dismantle the entire trafficking network, the police said. PTI BPL NB NB
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