Newborn trafficked from Gujarat to Hyderabad rescued; four arrested
Hyderabad: The Ahmedabad crime branch, in a joint operation with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), busted an inter-state child trafficking racket, rescued a newborn and arrested four people, police said on Thursday.
The operation, carried out on Wednesday, followed specific intelligence developed by the Gujarat ATS and shared with the city crime branch. Acting on the input, teams intercepted a white Maruti Ertiga travelling from Himmatnagar towards the Ahmedabad airport.
“During the checking of the vehicle, a newborn baby was found in the possession of the occupants, following which all suspects were detained for questioning,” an official said.
The arrested accused were identified as Vandana Panchal, 34, a resident of Odhav; Roshan Agrawal, 42, a resident of Hyderabad; Sumit Yadav, 27, from Vatva; and the driver, Maulik Dave, 32, from Ahmedabad.
Police said the newborn had been bought for ₹3.60 lakh and was meant to be resold. During interrogation, the accused reportedly told investigators that the baby was purchased from a person identified as Munna near Himmatnagar and brought to Ahmedabad for onward transport to Hyderabad, where an agent named Nagraj was expected to take custody.
Investigators believe the final transaction value was significantly higher, indicating multiple layers of middlemen. “This is not an isolated deal but part of a chain where each link earns a cut,” a senior officer said.
Police seized ₹10,050 in cash, four mobile phones valued at around ₹55,000, and the vehicle used to transport the child. A case has been registered against the four arrested persons as well as the alleged seller and buyer.
The newborn was handed over to the child health officer for immediate medical care.
Recurring Hyderabad link
Police sources said the Hyderabad connection has surfaced repeatedly in recent child trafficking cases. In earlier cases, Vandana Panchal and Roshan Agrawal were arrested by Hyderabad police in similar offences involving trafficking of infants. After securing bail, the duo is suspected to have resumed illegal activities by reconnecting with middlemen in Gujarat and Telangana.
Investigators said at least three children were earlier recovered from their custody in previous cases, one of them from Ahmedabad. “The recurrence of the same names points to gaps in monitoring repeat offenders,” a police source said.
Multiple teams have been formed to trace the absconding accused, including Munna and Nagraj, and to identify other possible buyers. Police are also examining medical and birth records and analysing financial trails linked to previous transactions.
