A gang busted in Patiala on Tuesday sold six infants, all under a month old. A gang member was caught on the spot with two infants.
One child was sold in Pathankot, compared to two in Ludhiana. The remaining three are being investigated.
An initial investigation suggests that the gang members bought and sold newborns across Punjab. According to police sources, the gang members would take ‘orders’ from issueless couples interested in buying a newborn baby, and then identify potential targets with the assistance of village health officials.
According to a police official, they offered parents between 30,000 and 50,000 rupees for infants, then sold the children for 5-6 lakh rupees at a profit.
SSP Varun Sharma confirmed that more infants had been sold, but said that the infants were not stolen, but purchased by parents. Nonetheless, we cannot rule out the possibility that the gang may have stolen children from hospitals. “All such recent cases of women stealing newborn babies from government hospitals are being investigated,” he said. Seven people, including two women, were arrested in Patiala for allegedly selling and buying newborns.
