Mumbai Police Uncover Sale of Four More Children in Multistate Trafficking Operation
Mumbai, 18th December 2024: The police have uncovered the sale of four more children by a trafficking gang operating in multiple states. Authorities made a tenth arrest, identifying Abdul Karim Nadaf as a key middleman in the operation.
The gang reportedly sold the children to families in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Vadodara, Thane, and Karnataka. Notices have been issued to the parents who purchased the children.
Nadaf, a footwear shop owner, is believed to have played a central role in the racket. Investigators found that the gang sold babies for between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 4 lakh, with Nadaf receiving the largest share of the proceeds, according to DCP (zone 4) R Ragasudha.
The latest development follows the arrest of nine people, including eight women, involved in child trafficking across Mumbai, Gujarat, and Karnataka. A four-month-old girl, sold for Rs 5 lakh to a couple in Karwar, Karnataka, was rescued. The buyer, Sandhya Rajput, has been charged, and the police suspect a gynaecologist and a nurse from Karnataka may also be involved.
The child was sold by her mother, Manisha Yadav, who stated that the money was needed to secure her husband’s release from jail, where he was held on theft charges.
Inspector Rajendra Pawar confirmed that police teams are tracking down the parents who purchased the remaining children and will bring them into custody.
The initial investigation began on December 11, when the infant’s grandmother filed a complaint at Matunga police station, revealing that Manisha Yadav had sold the child for Rs 1 lakh with the help of two intermediaries, Madina Chavan and Tainaaz Chauhan from Vadodara.
