Delhi Police bust child trafficking ring, rescue 5 infants; 13 arrested
Synopsis
Delhi Police's Central District unit cracked open a five-state child trafficking ring that was buying newborns for ₹1.5–2 lakh and reselling them for up to ₹8 lakh — with a hospital owner allegedly at the centre, using her facility to conceal infants and forge documents. Four of the five rescued infants are from tribal communities.
Key Takeaways
Delhi's Central District Police arrested 13 accused and rescued five infants in an inter-state child trafficking operation on 18 June .
The syndicate operated across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat , buying infants for ₹1.5–2 lakh and selling them for ₹6–8 lakh .
Dr Viveki , owner of Heera Multi Speciality Hospital, Begampur , is among the accused, allegedly using the facility to conceal infants and fabricate documents.
Main trafficker Jyoti alias Kamlesh , 37, was previously named in a 2022 kidnapping and trafficking FIR at Punjabi Bagh Police Station.
Four of the five rescued infants belong to tribal communities; all five are now under care.
Police recovered ₹2,92,400 in cash allegedly intended for the purchase of a newborn during the investigation.
Delhi's Central District Police on 18 June dismantled a multi-state child trafficking syndicate, arresting 13 accused persons — including traffickers, mediators, buyers, and a hospital owner — and rescuing five infants from locations across Delhi, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh. The operation exposed an organised network that allegedly procured newborns for ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2 lakh each and resold them to childless couples for ₹6 lakh to ₹8 lakh.
How the Operation Unfolded
The breakthrough came on 5 June, when a team from the Operations Unit of the Central District conducted a decoy operation near RK Ashram Metro Station in the Paharganj area. Three accused — Jyoti alias Kamlesh, Shalu, and Lalit — were apprehended while allegedly attempting to sell a newborn infant, approximately four to five days old, to decoy buyers arranged by police. The infant was rescued safely.
An FIR under Sections 143(4), 61(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 81 of the Juvenile Justice Act was registered at Paharganj Police Station. Investigation was entrusted to W/SI Pragati of the Operations Unit.
Scale of the Syndicate
Sustained interrogation and technical surveillance revealed a well-structured network spanning Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. The syndicate operated through a layered structure of suppliers, mediators, transporters, facilitators, and buyers. Infants were allegedly sourced from multiple states, concealed, medically attended to, and then transferred to prospective buyers alongside fabricated hospital records, delivery documents, and birth-related papers to falsely establish legal parentage.
During the investigation, police recovered ₹20,000 used as token money in the decoy operation and ₹2,92,400 allegedly earmarked for purchasing a newborn, from accused Pratibha and Vipin.
Key Accused and Their Roles
Jyoti, 37, a resident of Tilak Nagar, Delhi, has been identified as the main trafficker and coordinator. She was previously named in FIR No. 623/2022 at Punjabi Bagh Police Station under sections related to kidnapping, trafficking, and POCSO offences. Shalu, 43, of Tagore Garden, allegedly handled and delivered infants, while Lalit of Laxmi Nagar participated in trafficking transactions.
Pratibha, 34, a freelance laboratory technician associated with Heera Multi Speciality Hospital, allegedly facilitated procurement and sale. She was previously named in FIR No. 256/2023 at IGI Airport Police Station. Vipin, 33, of Kutub Vihar, allegedly served as a driver and transporter for the syndicate. Omwati, 45, a domestic worker from Gurugram, allegedly acted as a mediator.
Among the most significant findings was the alleged involvement of Dr Viveki, 47, owner of Heera Multi Speciality Hospital in Begampur, Delhi. According to police, she kept trafficked infants at her hospital and identified prospective buyers among childless couples seeking fertility-related treatment, while also allegedly facilitating the preparation of fabricated medical documents.
Buyers Arrested, Infants Rescued Across States
Mukesh and Reema Pal, a couple from Gwalior, were arrested for allegedly purchasing two trafficked infants. Sunny Arora and Ritu Arora of Panipat, Haryana, and Sarika, 38, also of Panipat, were arrested for allegedly purchasing trafficked infants. A four-month-old male infant and another male infant were rescued from Panipat; two infants — a male and a female, both approximately 27 days old — were recovered from Gwalior.
The alleged master supplier, Saybabhai Ghamar alias Kalia, originally from Udaipur, Rajasthan, and residing in Sabarkantha, Gujarat, was arrested following extensive technical surveillance. He is identified as a primary source of infants from Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Victims and What Comes Next
Police stated that four of the five rescued infants belong to tribal communities, while one is from Delhi — a detail that points to the vulnerability of marginalised populations to trafficking networks. All five infants have been placed under care following their rescue.
This is not an isolated incident; child trafficking syndicates exploiting the demand from childless couples have been documented across India, with the use of hospital infrastructure and forged documents emerging as a recurring operational pattern. Investigators say the case underscores gaps in the regulation of private maternity facilities. Further arrests are not ruled out as police continue to map the full extent of the network.
Point of View
And Pratibha's 2023 airport case, raise pointed questions about why known offenders remained operational for years. The fact that four of the five victims are from tribal communities is not incidental — it reflects a well-documented pattern where economic vulnerability in marginalised groups is systematically exploited by trafficking networks. Until private maternity facilities face real-time regulatory scrutiny and inter-state coordination on known traffickers improves, dismantling one syndicate will simply displace the demand to the next.
NationPress
3 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Delhi Police uncover in the child trafficking case on 18 June?
Delhi's Central District Police dismantled a multi-state child trafficking syndicate, arresting 13 accused and rescuing five infants from Delhi, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh. The network allegedly bought newborns for ₹1.5–2 lakh and sold them to childless couples for ₹6–8 lakh.
Who are the key accused in the Delhi infant trafficking case?
The main accused include Jyoti alias Kamlesh, identified as the primary trafficker and coordinator; Dr Viveki, owner of Heera Multi Speciality Hospital in Begampur; and Saybabhai Ghamar alias Kalia, the alleged master supplier from Gujarat. Buyers from Gwalior and Panipat have also been arrested.
How were the infants trafficked and sold?
Infants were allegedly procured from multiple states, transported to Delhi, concealed at a private hospital, and transferred to buyers alongside fabricated delivery records and birth documents. The forged paperwork was used to falsely establish legal parentage for the purchasing couples.
Where were the five rescued infants found?
One infant was rescued during the initial decoy operation near RK Ashram Metro Station in Delhi. Two infants were recovered from Panipat, Haryana, and two — a male and a female — from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. Police say four of the five belong to tribal communities.
What charges have been filed in the case?
An FIR was registered at Paharganj Police Station under Sections 143(4), 61(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 81 of the Juvenile Justice Act. Further legal proceedings are ongoing as police continue to investigate the full extent of the network.
