18 June,2026 04:13 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Representational image. File pic
In a major breakthrough against organised child trafficking, Delhi's Central District Police have dismantled an inter-state child trafficking syndicate and arrested 13 accused persons.
The accused who have been arrested include traffickers, mediators, buyers, and a hospital owner. The officials have also rescued five infants from different locations across Delhi, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh.
According to IANS, the investigation exposed a well-organised child trafficking network operating across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, with the hospital owner allegedly facilitating illegal adoptions and arranging fabricated documents to support the illegal transfer of infants.
A cash amount of Rs 20,000, used as token money during a decoy operation, and Rs 2,92,400, allegedly intended for the purchase of a newborn child, were recovered during the investigation.
The alleged master supplier of infants was apprehended from Gujarat following extensive technical surveillance and sustained efforts by the police.
Police officials' white briefing about the operation said that on June 5, acting on specific intelligence inputs, a team from the Operations Unit of the Central District conducted a decoy operation near RK Ashram Metro Station in the Paharganj area.
During the operation, we apprehended Jyoti alias Kamlesh, Shalu, and Lalit while allegedly attempting to sell a newborn infant to decoy customers arranged by the police team. "We also rescued a male infant, approximately four to five days old," the official added.
An FIR under Sections 143(4), 61(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 81 of the Juvenile Justice Act was registered at the Paharganj Police Station, and the investigation was entrusted to W/SI Pragati of the Operations Unit, Central District.
During sustained interrogation and technical investigation, police discovered that the arrested individuals were part of a larger organised inter-state child trafficking syndicate.
All the accused who have been arrested till now are said to be engaged in procuring infants from various sources and illegally selling them to childless couples for substantial monetary consideration, according to IANS.
Investigators further found that Jyoti was functioning as a key trafficker and coordinator of the network and allegedly obtained infants through various intermediaries. One of the primary suppliers was identified as Saybabhai Ghamar alias Kalia, who allegedly sourced newborn infants from Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Based on information provided by Jyoti, two additional accused, Pratibha and Vipin, were apprehended while allegedly on their way to arrange another infant.
During their arrest, police recovered Rs 2,92,400 in cash, which investigators believe was intended for the purchase of a newborn child.
The investigation also disclosed the involvement of Omwati, a domestic worker from Gurugram. Police alleged that she acted as a mediator and helped arrange the infants, who were subsequently handed over to members of the trafficking network for illegal sale.
One of the most significant findings of the investigation was the alleged involvement of Dr Viveki, owner of Heera Multi Speciality Hospital in Delhi's Begampur, who played a crucial role in facilitating the illegal trafficking operation by keeping trafficked infants at her hospital and identifying prospective buyers among childless couples seeking fertility-related treatment.
Police, while stating more about the operation, said, "The syndicate operated through a highly organised network comprising suppliers, mediators, transporters, facilitators, and buyers," as cited by IANS.
Furthermore, infants were allegedly procured from various sources in different states and transported to Delhi through members of the syndicate. Once brought to Delhi, the infants were concealed, medically attended to, and prepared for illegal transfer to prospective buyers.
Police identified Jyoti, 37, a resident of Delhi's Tilak Nagar, as the main trafficker and coordinator of the syndicate. She has previously been involved in several criminal cases related to kidnapping, trafficking, and POCSO offences.
(With inputs from IANS)
