Probe Into Interstate Network Widens As Seventh Accused HeldVadodara: Crime branch sleuths arrested the biological father of an eight-day-old infant and a relative on Saturday, in connection with the alleged sale of the newborn for Rs 3 lakh, as investigators expanded a probe into a suspected interstate child trafficking network with links to Mumbai.With the arrests of Laxman Moti Muli, the father from Dhanshali village in Sabarkantha’s Poshina taluka, and Shravan Dudha Parmar, a relative of the infant’s parents, the number of accused held in the case has risen to seven.Police said that Muli agreed to sell his newborn son for financial gain, while Parmar coordinated with another accused, Nagin Bhagora, to facilitate the child’s transfer to Mumbai.The arrests come days after the anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) rescued the infant from a couple allegedly taking the child from Siddhpur to Mumbai, after receiving a tip-off.According to crime branch officials, the investigation has uncovered a well-organised interstate network involving parents, relatives, middlemen and transporters.Four teams have been deployed across Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan to trace the remaining accused and dismantle the network. Investigators said newborns were transported over 600km through multiple handlers before reaching Mumbai. Each intermediary allegedly played a limited role to conceal the identities of those directing the operations.Police are searching for Sohil Allabaksh Husain Nadab alias “Doctor”, a key absconding accused who allegedly posed as a doctor while negotiating deals through WhatsApp calls.Investigators said Nadab is an auto-rickshaw driver from Kolhapur who allegedly coordinated with buyers in Mumbai through a network of women agents.During interrogation, one of the arrested accused allegedly told police that three other newborns from Banaskantha district had been sold through separate Mumbai-based agents during the past one-and-a-half months. Investigators are verifying the claim and attempting to trace the infants and identify the alleged buyers.According to police, the rescued infant was sold for Rs 3 lakh, of which Rs 2 lakh was to be paid to the biological parents. Another accused was allegedly promised Rs 10,000 as commission, while the couple intercepted by the crime branch had allegedly agreed to transport the child to Mumbai for Rs 20,000.The case came to light on the night of Monday, when crime branch personnel intercepted a bus near a hotel on NH 48 in Vadodara after receiving information about a newborn allegedly being trafficked to Mumbai.The infant was rescued and shifted to SSG Hospital, where doctors found the child to be healthy.Police said the infant will undergo DNA profiling with the biological parents as part of the investigation. Once declared fit, the child will be produced before the Child Welfare Committee, which will decide on custody and rehabilitation.A case has been registered under the BNS and Section 81 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. Investigators said efforts are focused on tracing the absconding accused, identifying the buyers and determining whether the network trafficked more children.
