Rachakonda police arrest 11 for illegal infant trade, rescue four babies
Hyderabad: The Special Operations Team (SOT) of Malkajgiri, along with Chaitanyapuri Police, has successfully exposed an interstate child trafficking racket and arrested 11 individuals involved in the illegal procurement and sale of infants. In the operation, four infants, they were two baby girls and two baby boys, were rescued. Authorities also seized 11 mobile phones and cash worth Rs 5,000. The total value of the seized property amounts to Rs 95,000.
According to police, the operation followed a tip-off, leading to the arrest of Kola Krishnaveni (26), Battu Deepthi (35), and other accomplices who had been trafficking infants across state lines. Krishnaveni and Deepthi had allegedly procured four infants from Vandana, a resident of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The infants were then transported to Hyderabad by Sunitha Suman and Savitri Devi before being sold to families in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh through intermediaries.
A case has been registered under Cr. No. 180/2025 at Chaitanyapuri Police Station, U/S 143(4)(5) r/w 3(5) of the BNS Act, and Sections 80, 81, 87, and 88 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Details of the Case
Kola Krishnaveni, a private employee from Quthbullapur, Medchal-Malkajgiri district, had been seeking an infant for adoption. In 2024, she came into contact with Manoj, a Delhi-based trafficker, who offered her a baby boy for Rs 5 lakhs. After police intercepted the deal, Krishnaveni turned to social media and connected with Vandana to procure infants illegally. Krishnaveni and Deepthi then facilitated the trafficking of four infants.
The four infants, i.e., two boys and two girls, were sold to buyers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for Rs 2-3 lakhs each for girls and Rs 4-5 lakhs for boys. Some of the buyers were aware of the illegal nature of the transactions, including individuals from Vijayawada, Saidabad, and Mahabubabad.
On February 25, 2025, police received credible information and intercepted Krishnaveni, Savitri Devi, and Sampath Kumar at Chaitanyapuri bus stop while they were attempting to sell a baby boy. Further investigation led to the discovery of three additional infants at Battu Deepthi’s residence. The accused confessed to selling the infants to families who had been promised adoption certificates but had yet to complete the full payment.
The #SOT_Malkajgiri Team, in coordination with @Chaitanyapurips Police, have busted an interstate #ChildTrafficking racket, arresting 11 individuals involved in the illegal procurement and sale of infants. The operation led to the #rescue of four infants (two baby girls and two… pic.twitter.com/TB5GWSlWdJ
— Rachakonda Police (@RachakondaCop) February 25, 2025
The four infants were procured as follows:
1. Baby Girl I: Procured on January 28, 2025, for Rs 2.3 lakh and sold to Ogeti Sravani in Vijayawada for Rs 2.7 lakh.
2. Baby Girl II: Procured on February 4, 2025, for Rs 2 lakh and sold to Teppala Swathi in Saidabad for Rs 2.5 lakh.
3. Baby Boy I: Procured on February 12, 2025, for Rs 4.2 lakh and sold to Lingala Ramesh in Mahabubabad for Rs 4.8 lakh.
4. Baby Boy II: Procured on February 25, 2025, for Rs 4.2 lakh, but was intercepted by police before being sold.
Appeal to Citizens
The police urge all citizens interested in adoption to follow the legal procedures and avoid approaching unauthorized agents or intermediaries involved in illegal transactions.
This operation was carried out under the supervision of G. Sudheer Babu, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Rachakonda, and guidance from Ch. Praveen Kumar, IPS, DCP LB Nagar. The investigation team included G. Janaiah, SOT Inspector, Malkajgiri, and G. Venkateshwar Rao, SHO Chaitanyapuri, among others.
