Newborn stealing racket: Main accused held after nearly 3 months

According to the police, Sunny, a resident of Mansa, was responsible for scouting people, from whom the gang either stole newborns or sold their stolen babies to.

Sunny, police said, had a network across the state which included the drivers of ambulances, Asha workers and nurses who would tip him off about all new deliveries taking place.

“There are instances when people didn’t want to keep their newborn after they were born. Sunny, with the help of his network, would approach such people,” a police officer, privy to the investigation, said.

Police have so far arrested Charanbir Singh, his wife Parvinder Kaur alias Sakshi, Manjinder Singh, and his wife Parvinder Kaur. At least two newborns were recovered from Sakshi.

Sources in the police had later told The Indian Express that during interrogation, Sakshi had confessed that two other infant, whom she had got from a private hospital in Mansa and wanted to sell, had later died.

Sakshi had also mislead the police probe by claiming that she had five children. But during investigations, it had come to light that she had lied and had only two children, with the remaining three being children that she had got from a poor family and wanted to sell further.

Sakshi and her husband were employees of Punjabi University, Patiala, and both were expelled by the university after their alleged role in the racket came to light.

The complainant in the case, Roma Rani, who had approached the district police last year alleging organ trade by the accused, had also highlighted the possible involvement of three police officials posted in CIA of Samana in Patiala district. No action, however, has so far been taken against the three police officers.

Contacted, DSP (City-2), H S Bal, said that the investigations in the case was going on and they suspect that more details would emerge soon.