Baby selling racket busted in Thane, couple held

Mangalore Today News Network

Thane, Jan 21, 2016: A couple was arrested on Tuesday for running an illegal adoption agency and the cops also rescued three girls aged 5-7 years from their house in Thane.

After Parmeshwar Dhasare, district child protection officer, tipped off the police, a team of Thane Crime Branch officers and Anti-human Trafficking Cell raided Room no. 306 at Ashtanga complex in Galegaon, Ambivli and rescued the girls. They also arrested the accused couple — 40-year-old Shabulan Rammurti Mali and his wife Anjalinajyoti Shabulan Mali.

Nitin Thakre, senior police inspector, Thane Crime Branch, said, “The accused used to sell the kids at around R80,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh to people interested in adopting.”

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“I met a woman recently who said three kids were being illegally kept in a house from where they are sold. So I informed Parag Manare, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, who put together a team that raided the spot on Tuesday,” said Dhasare, while adding that the girls’ parents have not been found.

Anjalinajyoti is Shabulan’s second wife and he has two children from his first wife. The accused also has a dowry case against him filed by his first wife at Titwala police station. While the adoption agency is Shabulan’s brainchild, Anjalinajyoti is a teacher.

“After receiving the information, our team raided their residence and rescued three girls aged five, six and seven years. The accused claimed that they brought the kids from commercial sex workers in Bhiwandi. Children born out of these women’s illicit relationships are handed over to the accused, who sell them to couples looking to adopt but illegally,” added Manare.

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The rescued girls have been sent to Janani Ashish Charitable Trust in Dombivli. “During the interrogation, the accused revealed that since 2011 these kids had been staying with them. Also, we found that they had sold two kids to two different families in Kalyan and Vasai. Though those families claim that they were unaware of the accused’s background,” added Dhasare.

A case was been registered against the couple at Thane Nagar police station under Sections 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 363 (Punishment for kidnapping) of the IPC.