Kerala Police bust newborn trafficking racket in Kottayam, two held
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Kerala Police have busted a human trafficking racket operating from a secluded house in Kottayam district, where pregnant women from other states were brought under the pretext of care and support before their newborns were sold.
The racket came to light after a 22-year-old pregnant woman from Assam filed a complaint.
The Erattupetta police arrested two suspects, identified as Raja, a native of Tamil Nadu, and his brother-in-law Arjun.
According to police, the woman had fled her marital home in Assam after refusing her in-laws' demand to undergo an abortion during her second pregnancy. Police said she was later contacted through social media by members of the syndicate, who posed as charity workers offering shelter and prenatal care.
She was brought to Teekoy in Kottayam and accommodated in an isolated rented house. Police alleged that the suspects later pressured her to hand over her baby after delivery. When she refused, they assaulted and threatened her.
The woman escaped from the house and was found wandering on the streets by local residents, who alerted the authorities. She was shifted to Santhwanam Care Home in Kottayam, where she disclosed the incident, leading to a police investigation.
During questioning, the woman told police that at least two other pregnant women were being held in the same house for the same purpose. Preliminary investigations indicate they were brought there by agents based in Thiruvananthapuram and had been staying in the house for over a month.
Kottayam Superintendent of Police Sabu Mathew said a Special Investigation Team led by the Pala DySP has been formed to probe the newborn trafficking racket. He said two people are in custody and police are collecting evidence to determine whether more women were trafficked and whether babies had already been sold by the group. Police are also investigating possible interstate links to the racket.