Palanpur: Banaskantha Local Crime Branch (LCB) inspector DM Rathod has bagged the ‘Best Detection Award’ for the investigation into the pan-India child-trafficking racket in which newborns were kidnapped and sold for lakhs.Rathod led the probe into what was named ‘Operation Dev,’ which was launched after the abduction and immediate rescue of a four-year-old boy on April 6. An in-depth investigation using technical surveillance as well as AI resulted in the arrest of 10 people, including the mastermind, Bodasu Nagaraju alias Murugan of Telangana. The gang’s modus operandi involved enticing childless couples, especially those visiting IVF centres, and selling them trafficked newborns purchased from parents who were in dire need of money.The award was presented to Rathod by Gujarat DGP GS Malik.
