Child selling racket busted; woman, couple arrested

Hyderabad, April 22: A child selling racket was busted in Telangana's Nalgonda district on Wednesday with the arrest of a woman, who allegedly sold an 18-month-old girl, and a couple who bought the baby, police said.

The woman, identified as Kamli, a former vice-sarpanch who earlier worked with Congress, was arrested for selling the child to the couple from Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district, Devarkonda (Sub-Division) Deputy Superintendent of Police G Chandra Mohan told PTI over phone.

The baby has been rescued and sent to a child home, he said.

"It seems Kamli sold the baby girl for around Rs 10,000 recently. She is accused of selling babies earlier also. We have to verify the same after taking her into police custody," the DSP said, adding that they suspect role of at least 3-4 more persons in the child trafficking racket.

The baby was apparently sold from a 'Sishu Gruha' (government-run orphanage) of Devarkonda.

A case was registered under relevant sections of IPC and Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act, he said.

"Police had information on this (child trafficking) and an operation was carried out after we registered a case in this regard on Monday," Nalgonda Superintendent of Police Viram Jeet Duggal told.

Further probe was on in the matter.

PTI