Cyberabad police rescue kidnapped infant sold for ₹1.5 lakh to Kolkata woman
Synopsis
A one-month-old girl snatched from her sleeping mother at a Hyderabad railway station was sold within days to a childless woman who flew in from Kolkata to collect her — for ₹1.5 lakh. Cyberabad police unravelled the five-member interstate trafficking chain in just three days, recovering the infant before she could be taken out of Telangana.
Key Takeaways
A one-month-old baby girl was kidnapped from Lingampally Railway Station on 30 June while her mother slept nearby.
The infant was sold for ₹1.5 lakh via online payment to Rehnuma Ali (30) , a childless woman from Kolkata .
Five members of an interstate trafficking gang were arrested, including two kidnappers from Vikarabad, Telangana and three women from Kolkata .
Cyberabad Police Commissioner Dr M.
Ramesh handed the rescued infant back to her biological mother on 3 July .
Investigators reviewed CCTV footage across three police commissionerates over three days to crack the case.
The case was registered under BNS Sections 137(2), 97, 3(5) and Section 84 of the Juvenile Justice Act .
Cyberabad Police on 3 July rescued a one-month-old baby girl who was kidnapped from Lingampally Railway Station on 30 June and subsequently sold to a childless woman from Kolkata for ₹1.5 lakh. Five members of an interstate child trafficking gang have been arrested in connection with the case.
How the Kidnapping Unfolded
The infant's mother, Malan Bourav Shantha Bai, a circus worker from Bidar district, Karnataka, was sleeping on the pavement outside Lingampally Railway Station alongside members of her circus group when unknown offenders snatched the baby from her lap. She awoke to the child's cries and attempted to pursue the accused, but they fled in an auto-rickshaw before she could intervene.
A case was registered at Chandanagar Police Station under Section 137(2), 97 read with Section 3(5) of the BNS and Section 84 of the Juvenile Justice Act. Three dedicated police teams were constituted under the supervision of ACP CH. Y. Srinivas of RC Puram Division, Serilingampally Zone.
The Investigation and Rescue Operation
Investigators spent three days combing through a large volume of CCTV footage across the Cyberabad, Malkajgiri, and Hyderabad Police Commissionerates. The coordinated effort led to the arrest of all five accused and the safe recovery of the infant before the gang could transport the child to Kolkata.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner Dr M. Ramesh personally handed the rescued baby back to her biological mother on Friday, describing the outcome as the result of 'prompt investigation and coordinated teamwork.'
The Trafficking Network
According to police, the chain of conspiracy began when Rehnuma Ali (30), a childless woman from Kolkata, approached her aunt Nimmy Jahan Ali alias Seema Ali, residing in Hyderabad, to arrange a baby for adoption against payment. Seema then contacted her friend Saadequa Maqsood alias Naziya of Neredmet, who in turn relayed the request to her fiancé, Mohammed Zuber of Vikarabad, Telangana, with the promise of a substantial monetary reward.
Zuber enlisted Mohamed Irfan, an auto-rickshaw driver from Vikarabad with a prior theft case on record, and the two allegedly conspired to kidnap and sell a newborn for financial gain. After abducting the infant from Lingampally, they sheltered the baby at Naziya's residence before notifying Seema and Rehnuma Ali.
On 1 July, Rehnuma Ali flew from Kolkata to Hyderabad, accompanied by her aunt Sarvari, to collect the child. Zuber received ₹1.5 lakh via online payment from Rehnuma Ali as the price for the illegal transaction — before police intervened and apprehended the entire group.
Accused Arrested
The five arrested individuals are: Mohammed Zuber and Mohamed Irfan (kidnappers, Vikarabad, Telangana); Saadequa Maqsood alias Naziya and Nimmy Jahan Ali alias Seema Ali (both originally from Kolkata, residing in Hyderabad); and Rehnuma Ali (Kolkata), who had purchased the infant. Police Commissioner Dr Ramesh stated that the operation effectively dismantled an interstate child trafficking and kidnapping racket. The case remains under active investigation.
Point of View
A broker chain spanning two states, and street-level offenders scanning for vulnerable targets at public transit points. The speed of the transaction — kidnapping to sale in under 48 hours, with payment made digitally — points to a network that has done this before. What the investigation must now establish is whether Zuber and Irfan have prior trafficking links beyond the theft case on Irfan's record, and whether Naziya's role as the connector points to a wider Hyderabad-based facilitation ring. Railway stations and bus terminals remain chronically under-surveilled as child-trafficking entry points despite repeated advisories from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
NationPress
3 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and when was the baby kidnapped?
The one-month-old girl was kidnapped on 30 June from Lingampally Railway Station in Hyderabad, while her mother, a circus worker from Bidar district in Karnataka, was sleeping on the pavement outside the station with her group.
How much was the infant sold for and to whom?
The infant was sold for ₹1.5 lakh to Rehnuma Ali (30), a childless woman from Kolkata, who transferred the amount online to the primary accused, Mohammed Zuber, before flying to Hyderabad on 1 July to collect the child.
Who are the five accused arrested by Cyberabad police?
The five arrested are Mohammed Zuber and Mohamed Irfan (kidnappers from Vikarabad, Telangana), Saadequa Maqsood alias Naziya and Nimmy Jahan Ali alias Seema Ali (originally from Kolkata, residing in Hyderabad), and Rehnuma Ali from Kolkata, who purchased the infant.
How did Cyberabad police track down the gang?
Three police teams, led by ACP CH. Y. Srinivas of RC Puram Division, reviewed extensive CCTV footage across the Cyberabad, Malkajgiri, and Hyderabad Police Commissionerates over three days. The coordinated effort led to all five arrests and the infant's safe recovery before she could be taken to Kolkata.
What charges have been filed in the case?
A case was registered at Chandanagar Police Station under Section 137(2), 97 read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 84 of the Juvenile Justice Act. The investigation is ongoing.
