The Himachal Pradesh Police on Tuesday arrested six more people in connection with an inter-state newborn trafficking racket, bringing the total number of arrests to nine. The crackdown follows the unearthing of a gang operating across Punjab and Haryana that allegedly sold infants under the guise of facilitating adoptions.
The investigation began after a complaint by Rohit Rana on February 17 in which he alleged he was defrauded of ₹23,500 by an agent, Deepak Anand, who promised to arrange a child for adoption. Subsequent raids in Jalandhar and Batala in Punjab led to the arrest of Anand and two women accomplices, exposing a network that duped aspiring parents.
How racket worked
According to Dehra superintendent of police (SP) Mayank Chaudhary, the gang functioned through a web of primary agents who scouted for “clients” across state borders. “Technical analysis and financial trails helped us connect the links. On February 23, special teams arrested five more suspects from Punjab and one from Haryana,” the SP said.
Police said that the gang charged hefty sums for these illegal “placements”, with investigators documenting transactions totalling ₹4.85 lakh for a child. The infant has since been recovered from Dehra and handed over to a special adoption agency following orders from the Juvenile Justice Board.
Bypassing CARA norms
The racket shows how desperate couples are attempting to bypass the stringent regulations set by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, any adoption outside the CARA framework, which involves mandatory registration on the portal and rigorous home study reports, is a criminal offence.
While the legal process is often lengthy, CARA’s tough regulations are designed to prevent child trafficking and ensure the safety of the minor. Illegal direct adoptions, like the ones promised by this gang, offer no legal protection to the parents or the child and carry a penalty of up to three years in prison or a fine of ₹1 lakh, or both.
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