Delhi Police has busted an interstate child trafficking syndicate that allegedly procured newborns from vulnerable families, moved them across states, and sold them to childless couples in the national capital.
The operation led to the arrest of 13 people, including alleged traffickers, middlemen, buyers, and a hospital owner, while five infants have been rescued so far, police said.
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In Photos | Police nab four main accused involved in an interstate child trafficking syndicate, with a total of 12 persons arrested and 5 infants rescued, at Police Headquarters in Delhi on Thursday (18/06).
— UNI Photos (@UNI_Photos) June 18, 2026
📸: Ritik Sharma / UNI@DelhiPolice | @DCPCentralDelhi | #Delhi |… pic.twitter.com/BOPjSs918O
A quiet rendezvous turns revealing
The case surfaced after a decoy operation on June 5 near RK Ashram Metro Station in Paharganj, where officers posing as prospective buyers caught three accused—Jyoti, alias Kamlesh; Shalu; and Lalit—while they were allegedly trying to sell an infant boy.
Police said they recovered Rs 20,000, described as token money paid by the decoys, and registered an FIR under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Juvenile Justice Act.
A web stretching well beyond the capital
Police reported the arrested suspects were part of a larger organized network that operated across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. The infants were allegedly sourced through chains of suppliers and mediators, then sold after forged documents were prepared to establish fake parentage.
A police official told The New Indian Express that the network relied on “forged documents” and that the syndicate was engaged in procuring infants from various sources and illegally selling them to childless couples for money.
#WATCH | Delhi: On child trafficking gang busted, DCP Railways Bharat Reddy says, "... We have busted a child trafficking gang, arresting eight members. A one-and-a-half-year-old boy abducted earlier was recovered, and Haridwar police also rescued a kidnapped girl, arresting one… pic.twitter.com/X5SiIoiega
— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2026
Following the money
Investigators also traced the alleged money trail and found cash worth Rs 2.92 lakh, which police said was intended for purchasing another newborn.
Police later recovered nearly Rs 3 lakh from two of the accused, Pratibha and Vipin, before their arrest. The probe also led to the arrest of Saybabhai Ghamar alias Kalia, whom authorities said supplied infants from Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Paperwork became the chief accomplice
Police said the hospital role became central to the investigation.
Dr. Viveki, the owner of a hospital in Begampur, was identified by investigators as a key link in the syndicate. Central District DCP Rohit Rajbir Singh said, "Dr. Viveki is the linchpin of this entire racket. She helped forge documents related to the kids. Birth certificates, delivery documents, and invoices were all forged at her hospital to make it appear that the kids were born here.”
The hospital acted as a hub where trafficked infants were sheltered, buyers were identified, and forged birth and medical records were generated to legitimize the transactions.
The pricing structure revealed by police showed a stark premium for male infants.
A girl child was procured for about Rs 1 lakh and sold for Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh, while a male child was bought for about Rs 2 lakh and sold for Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.
The New Indian Express gave a similar range, saying newborn boys were allegedly sold for Rs 7 lakh to Rs 8 lakh and girls for Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. The gang allegedly once offered a girl and a boy together as “twins” for a consolidated price of Rs 9 lakh, even though the children were brought from different places.
A measure of relief amid grim findings
Four additional infants were rescued from Panipat and Gwalior, taking the total number of rescued children to five. A police official informed, “All rescued babies have been placed under the care of the Child Welfare Committee as investigations continue to identify their biological parents and uncover the full extent of the trafficking network.”
The recovered infants were all under a month old. Police were still trying to determine whether they had been sold willingly by their biological parents or stolen.
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FAQs
Q1: How did Delhi Police uncover the child trafficking racket?
Ans: Delhi Police exposed the network through a decoy operation in Paharganj, where officers posed as buyers and caught suspects allegedly trying to sell an infant.
Q2: How much were babies allegedly sold for in the Delhi trafficking case?
Ans: According to police, newborn boys were sold for up to Rs 8 lakh, while girls were allegedly sold for Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.
