New Delhi: The investigation into the inter-state child trafficking racket busted by Delhi Police is set to widen, with over two dozen couples now under the scanner for allegedly buying infants from a syndicate over several years, officers familiar with the probe said.Investigators suspect the gang may have trafficked about 30 infants across multiple states, operating through a well-organised network of suppliers, middlemen, transporters and buyers. Police are now piecing together the trail of the infants and identifying families who allegedly bought them.Officers have examined records and registers at the hospital run by Dr Viveki, one of the accused arrested in the case. They are also trying to contact women who were treated there. They suspect the facility served as a key link in facilitating the illegal transfer of newborns.Police sources said that as fake birth certificates and forged documents were issued to legitimise the trafficking of infants, the ambit of the investigation could extend to revenue and civic officials who may have acted in connivance with the gang.A breakthrough came with the arrest of Saybabhai Ghamar, alias Kalia, who is believed to be a supplier of infants. Police are set to take him to Gujarat to identify couples who allegedly sold their babies to the network.Police said Kalia initially worked as a facilitator in the racket, earning Rs 5,000 for each deal. He later began operating independently along with a woman called Pratibha, who has also been arrested. Investigators said he targeted poor families, offering them money in exchange for their newborns. “To evade police scrutiny, he frequently changed the locations where the deliveries and infant handovers happened,” an officer said.Kalia told the investigators that on the day of the child’s delivery, he would escort the biological parents to Pali in Rajasthan, where other gang members would take custody of the newborn. The parents were brought along to pacify the infants during transit and to avoid arousing suspicion. Once the handover was completed, the payment was made in cash and the parents were dropped back near their homes. Investigators said gang members bringing the babies to Delhi travelled as couples..Police have arrested 13 people and rescued five infants. Raids are on in Gujarat and Rajasthan to trace two infants.The special team on the case was formed by DCP (central) Rohit Rajbir Singh and is being led by Inspector Sandeep Yadav.Among the rescued children, a four-month-old boy was tracked to Panipat, while a boy and a girl were rescued from Gwalior.
