Andhra police busts child trafficking gang in Eluru district

Andhra Pradesh police busted a child trafficking network in Eluru, uncovering illegal sales of a newborn girl for ₹3 lakh and a boy for ₹30,000. Six accused face charges under trafficking and juvenile justice laws; investigations continue

Eluru:  The Andhra Pradesh police have busted a child trafficking syndicate in Eluru district after unearthing the illegal sale of infants during an investigation, police said on Sunday.

The breakthrough came following a verification of suspicious child registration records, which led to an investigation into the alleged trafficking network.

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“We have busted a newborn babies trafficking gang in Eluru district after two incidents involving the illegal sale of infants came to light during an investigation,” Eluru Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) D Sravan Kumar told PTI.

According to police, the first case pertains to a couple from Mudinepalli mandal who allegedly bought a newborn girl by paying around Rs 3 lakh on December 1, 2024, after reportedly failing to conceive despite multiple in vitro fertilisation (IVF) attempts.

Six people have been named as accused in the case, including the parents, those who helped arrange the baby, and others who approached them.

Kumar said the couple had feigned pregnancy and later allegedly purchased the infant through middlemen, intending to pass her off as their biological child.

Forged documents were arranged to support the claim, including a fake birth certificate and Aadhaar card generated through a local panchayat office.

During inquiry, investigators unearthed another case involving the alleged sale of a newborn boy.

In that case, a baby boy was reportedly sold for about Rs 30,000 at a private hospital in Eluru on September 29, 2024, allegedly with the involvement of a nurse.

Cases were registered under Sections 143(4) (5) read with section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to trafficking and organised crime, along with Sections 81 and 87 of the Juvenile Justice Act dealing with the sale and purchase of children.

Meanwhile, Eluru District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Ch Surya Chakraveni said during the verification of child birth records, it was found that suspicious entries were linked to infants reportedly delivered at a private hospital on September 24.

According to the officer, some persons are suspected to be involved in the network, and one of the accused is a habitual offender with cases registered in multiple districts.

“These incidents point to the possibility of an organised network involved in the illegal sale of newborns, and a thorough investigation has been initiated,” Chakraveni told PTI.

She further said one of the suspects, who is an accused in earlier baby trafficking cases reported in Vijayawada, allegedly brought the female infant on December 1, 2024.

However, authorities are yet to determine from where the baby was brought, she said, adding that the woman is currently lodged in Rajamahendravaram Central Prison.

The accused couple cooked up a story that the baby’s documents were stolen during their train journey.

Based on this false narrative, they allegedly approached intermediaries who helped create a birth certificate through a panchayat office without proper verification.

Using the document, the accused subsequently obtained an Aadhaar card for the child, she said.

She added that while two infants have been identified as having been sold so far, police are trying to determine whether more such cases are linked to the same network.