11 of gang that bought, sold babies held

Ghaziabad: A gang that allegedly bought newborns from poor parents and sold the infants to childless couples was busted in Ghaziabad, with the arrest of 11 people. Police began investigating after a complaint was lodged in Loni on May 12 by a couple that claimed their 15-day-old child was abducted from their house by a man and a woman who had visited them on the pretext of renting a flat.
“The complaint was lodged by Fatima and Fariyad, residents of Dabur Talab area. Based on an initial investigation and the circumstances, we concluded that it was highly unlikely that a child could be abducted in that way,” said Atul Kumar, circle officer, Loni.
“However, upon further investigation, it came to light that it was not a case of abduction but that of a baby-selling racket. In this case, Fatima and Fariyad had agreed to sell their newborn to the accused but lodged a complaint with the police when the buyers hoodwinked them and took away their child without paying the agreed amount,” he added.
Five of the 11 arrested in the case are local resident Wahid, Delhi-based couple Asmit Kaur and Gurmeet, and Lucknow resident Alok Agnihotri. Three more accused in the case are on the run. Police have identified Asmit and Gurmeet as the kingpins of the racket they ran through Wahid, whose primary job was to spot poor and vulnerable couples and convince them to have a baby and subsequently sell them off.
“Asmit and Gurmeet attracted potential customers through their website, Sulekha. They used to charge up to Rs 5.5 lakh from childless couples for a newborn,” said Kumar.
In the case of Fatima and Fariyad, Wahid had struck a deal with the couple and offered them Rs 2 lakh for their baby. “But Wahid, along with another woman, visited the couple’s house on May 12 and took away the baby when they were busy with household chores, without paying them a penny. The baby was taken straight to Asmit and Gurmeet in Delhi, from where the accused couple boarded a flight to Lucknow and delivered the baby to Alok Agnihotri for Rs 5.5 lakh,” the circle officer said.
In fact, to crack the case, the Ghaziabad police had formed three teams and activated local intelligence units. “We first arrested Wahid who spilled the beans and named all those involved in the racket. Eventually, 10 more people were arrested, including eight women and three men. Lucknow resident Agnihotri is among those held for buying the baby for his childless sister,” said Iraj Raja, SP (rural).
Police have, however, not yet pressed any charges against the complainants in the case, Fatima and Fariyad. “Efforts are on to nab the other three accused in the case,” he added.