Karnataka Child Trafficking Network Busted: 4 Arrested, 6 Babies Rescued

In Karnataka's Tumakuru district, members of a gang have been identified and arrested. The gang has been accused of taking babies and selling them to childless couples. The event came to light when a couple reported the loss of their 11-month-old child to the police on June 9. The couple was sleeping near a temple. With further subsequent investigation, some of the participants of the scheme were discovered and arrested.

Among the people who were arrested was the managing director of a nursing college in Tumakuru itself, UD Mahesh, as well as a pharmacist at a Primary Healthcare Center (PHC), Mehaboob Sharif. Poornima, a nurse at another PHC, and Soujanya, a nurse at Shira government hospital were also arrested. 

After the investigation began, K N Ramakrishna, a tattoo artist and a resident of the district, Hanumatharaju was the first to be arrested. It was revealed that babies had been sold to many childless couples.

How did they do it?

Each baby was sold between 2 and 3 lakhs. Reportedly, the gang members targeted vulnerable parents-to-be, such as unwed mothers and babies conceived from extramarital affairs, who did not want their children. These babies were delivered at Sharif's private hospital and fake birth certificates were made for them. The babies were then sold to childless couples who adopted them illegally.

Tumkur SP Ashok KV told India Today, "This has been happening since 2022, and it has been done with 9 babies. At Mehboob Shariff's private hospital, couples who wanted to have kids came in and pretended to be pregnant and having a delivery. They then obtained fake birth certificates. We suspect there are more people involved in this. We will take this seriously and send all the accused to jail."

Measures Taken

Out of the nine babies, all between the ages of 11 months and 2.5 years, six have been rescued and are being given care at a child protection centre on the orders of the Child Welfare Committee. One of them is reportedly dead, and the other two are being brought in from Hyderabad and Devangere respectively.

The couples who bought the babies will also be charged as they practised illegal adoption practices.