Ranchi Police today took Nirmal Hriday staff Anima Indwar and Sister Koshleniea in four days remand for detailed interrogation related to the infamous child selling case allegedly involving Missionaries of Charity. The duo that has been arrested on the charges of selling four children of the shelter home would be questioned on the involvement of others in the human trade, said officials.

“Anima Indwar and Sister Koshleniea have been taken on four-day remand for further investigation in the case. We sense involvement of a large number of people in the racket because one cannot run such a business without several people at higher levels,” said SN Mandal, Officer in Charge of Kotwali Police Station.

The racket was busted on July 3 after a couple from Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh complained to the Child Welfare Committee in the city about the dubious deal at Nirmal Hriday institution located East Jail Road. The couple stated that it did not get the child even after paying Rs 1.2 lakh Anima Indwar of Nirmal Hriday.

During the investigation, sister Koshleniea and Anima Indwar accepted that they sold at least four children to childless couples for money since January 2018. Police and the CWC have recovered three out of the four babies till date.

Meanwhile, the State government is looking at the prospect of higher agency probe in the case after recommendation of the State Police for investigation by an appropriate agency as the funds granted to the international NGO have various links across the State and the country.

The letter sent to the government suggests a CBI probe in the matter after it was found during investigation that several other institutions are linked with Missionaries of Charity and they all have received funds of Rs 927 crore from foreign organisations in last 12 years, said a senior police officer.

Woman, Child Development and Welfare Minister Louis Marandi said Sister, worker of Nirmal Hriday in police remand that various agencies are investigating the case at their level and the government is mulling to go ahead with the probe in an appropriate way. “The case had come to light through Child Welfare Committee, which is doing its own probe. Secondly, police are also looking at the case with utmost seriousness. I cannot say anything about the CBI probe but it is for sure that the whole case needs to be investigated by an independent agency,” said Marandi.

She added that the worker and the sister arrested by police had already accepted their involvement in crime but a higher probe would spill the beans and the real culprits will be caught soon.

Chief Minister Raghubar Das has already asked State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) to hold a detailed probe into the activities of such dubious organizations in the State and submit a report by August 15. The SCPCR, on the other hand, has written to the Chief Secretary of State to conduct raids covering all shelter homes, NGOs (Private and Government) operating across the State for collecting first hand inputs about its nature of operation.