Police bust child trafficking, rescue four infants

Hyderabad:The police arrested six child traffickers and five persons, who purchased four babies for illegally adopting them. The operation was conducted jointly by the Chaitanyapuri police and Malkajgiri SOT.

During the operation, the police found out that the main trafficker from Ahmedabad was selling babies to one Krishnaveni, who operates a trafficking racket in Hyderabad. The buyers include couples, who have been childless for at least 10 to 15 years. The male infants are in greater demand with prices ranging between `4 lakh and `5 lakh, while female infants are sold for around `2 lakh to`3 lakh.

Briefing the media on the investigations, Rachakonda police commissioner G. Sudheer Babu said the babies were just born, including the one who was just four days old. “It was an organised racket operated by Krishnaveni in Hyderabad and Vandana from Ahmedabad alongwith two of her associates.

“Prime accused Kola Krishnaveni, who works as a medical representative, started trafficking children from 2024. Everything began when a couple approached her assuming that she could help them with the adoption of kids. Both the sellers (traffickers) and buyers (interested adoptive parents) were aware that this adoption is illegal,” Sudheer Babu said.

The process is against the CARA (Central Adoption Resource Authority) and Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act. The cases against traffickers, including the parents who sold the babies, are registered under the Juvenile Act and the rescued infants were handed over to the Child Welfare Committee, he said.

The commissioner said, “Krishnaveni played a pivotal role. She and her associate Battu Deepthi sourced infants from Vandana from Gujarat who is on the run. Vandana supplied newborns at a price of `1.5 lakh for baby girls and `2.5 lakh for baby boys. The infants were transported from Gujarat to Hyderabad by two couriers, Sunitha Suman and Savitri Devi. Once in Hyderabad, Krishnaveni and Deepthi, along with Budidhi Sampath Kumar, an outsourcing ward boy at Gandhi Hospital, facilitated the sale of infants to childless couples in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.”

Apart from them, an outsourcing employee from Gandhi Hospital, and an Asha worker were also involved in the racket. The Asha worker is on the run.

Sudheer Babu said the police would visit Ahmedabad to find Vandana and track the biological parents of the infants and find out if the babies were sold, or kidnapped from hospitals.

The couples, who were apprehended by the police belong to different walks of life, mostly from well off families but chose the illegal means for adoption.

A couple from Vijayawada, who was arrested for illegal adoption, include an assistant professor at an engineering college in Vijayawada. Another couple was in business, while a child was bought by a single parent. The police busted the racket while traffickers were in the process of selling the fourth infant.

According to sources, all the couples had been childless for more than 10 years and chose the illegal means for their happiness. However, they were also charged and remanded.

All the four infants, two boys and two girls were handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).

“We have taken the admission of the infants under JJ Act. They will further be put up for adoption on the CARA website and interested parents across the nation can pick up the infants for adoption. Till the adoption, they will be in the CWC shelter and they will be the sole authority of their well being,” said CWC chairman Raja Reddy.

A similar child trafficking case was registered with Medipally police in May 2024. So far, the police filed a preliminary chargesheet involving 12 traffickers and 23 persons who purchased the children. Fifteen children, including four boys and 11 girls, were rescued and handed over to the CWC. However, the police could not trace out their biological parents till now.

Accused:

Kola Krishnaveni, 26, medical representative

Battu Deepthi, 35, home0maker.

Goutham Savitri Devi, 27, house-keeping staff, Gujarat

Battu Sravan Kumar, 38, pan shop

Amgoth Sharada, 38, Asha worker

Adoptive parents

Oguti Naga Venkata Pavan Bhagvan, 35, assistant professor, and wife Rama Sravani, housewife, purchased a baby girl on January 28 for `2.7 lakh. The infant was procured from Vandana in Gujarat and transported to Hyderabad by Sunitha Suman.

Teppala Vinay Kumar, 40, a businessman of Saidabad, and his wife Swathi, 38, purchased a baby girl for `2.5 lakh. The infant was procured from Vandana and transported to Hyderabad by Sunitha Suman.

A single parent, Lingala Ramesh, 39, a barber, and native of Mahbubabad, purchased a boy for `4.8 lakh. The infant was procured from Vandana and transported to Hyderabad by Savitri Devi.

Baby boy also purchased from Vandana and transported to the city by Savitri Devi. The infant was purchased at a price of `4.2 lakh.