Ten agents have been arrested and eight children rescued from in and around Mumbai over the last 2-3 weeks since the first arrest was made by Medipally police in the racket where 60 infants were sold in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
According to the investigating officer R. Govinda Reddy, some of the people arrested in Mumbai are from Telangana. “At least 4-5 people are common in the cases booked by the Mumbai police and us. These agents appear to be a part of the same racket with common suppliers from Delhi and Pune,” the official said.
The questioning of the 11 arrested in Telangana that started on May 31 has opened up a Pandora’s box. “As per the data, about 20-25 agents are involved in this racket,” Mr. Reddy explained.
The Telangana police, along with Mumbai police, are all set to seek assistance from Delhi police to trace and nab the alleged suppliers in the case — Kiran, Preethi and Kannaiah, whose names have come up in the confessions by agents arrested in the two States, the officials said.
Babies lining up
Till now, 23 babies have been rescued from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The Shishu Vihar in Ameerpet has received 15 children aged between a few days to 3.5 years, where efforts are underway to trace their biological parents. Thorough investigation is being carried out to map the families of the eight in Mumbai as well.
“The children received are in healthy condition. There were troubles with 3-4 children initially but now they have all mingled up and become accustomed to the environment here,” N. Mothi, Regional Joint Director, Women Development and Child Welfare (WDCW) Department said. “If the biological parents of these children are not mapped within two months of their date of arrival, they will be moved to the adoption pool for legal adoption procedure,” she added.