New Delhi | A major interstate child trafficking network has been busted following the rescue of a one-and-a-half-year-old boy who was abducted from New Delhi Railway Station. Investigators arrested eight accused, including three women, after an extensive operation that relied on the analysis of more than 300 CCTV cameras, technical surveillance and intelligence inputs. The operation not only led to the safe recovery of the child but also exposed an organized network allegedly involved in the buying and selling of children.
The case came to light on May 25 when a woman reported her young son missing from New Delhi Railway Station. According to the complaint, she had been living separately from her husband and often spent nights in the station’s main hall. During one such stay, her child suddenly disappeared. Given the seriousness of the case, investigators immediately launched a large-scale search operation and began examining CCTV footage from the station and surrounding areas.
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During the investigation, officials identified three suspects, including a woman, carrying the child away from the station. As the probe expanded, authorities reviewed footage from nearly 300 CCTV cameras to reconstruct the suspects’ movements. Investigators found that the accused travelled by e-rickshaw and other vehicles through the Shastri Park area before reaching Ghaziabad, where the next phase of the operation was allegedly planned.
Using technical surveillance and human intelligence, investigators later received information that the child had been taken to Haridwar. A team was dispatched to the city, where the rescue operation ultimately led to the safe recovery of the toddler. Further investigation revealed that the kidnapping was allegedly carried out by an organized trafficking network that procured children based on demand from prospective buyers.
During questioning, investigators learned that a woman identified as Aarti, a resident of Badaun, was seeking to acquire a male child. According to investigators, she has five daughters and had been unable to obtain a child through legal adoption channels. Her sister Pooja allegedly introduced her to Preeti, a woman based in Haridwar. The group reportedly negotiated a deal worth approximately ₹1.5 lakh for the child.
Investigators allege that after receiving the request, Preeti instructed her associates—identified as Jia, Vishal and Shiva—to arrange the kidnapping. The accused allegedly abducted the toddler from New Delhi Railway Station and transported him to Haridwar, where preparations were being made to hand him over to the prospective buyer.
Authorities have sent Aarti and Pooja to judicial custody, while the remaining accused are being questioned in custody. Investigators are now attempting to determine how many children may have been trafficked through the network and whether additional individuals were involved in facilitating the operation.
The probe has also uncovered evidence suggesting that the network may have been operating on a much larger scale. According to information gathered during interrogation, more than 30 newborn babies may have been sold over the past one-and-a-half years. Investigators have identified at least 24 families who allegedly purchased children through the network. These families are located across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Authorities are also examining records from a private hospital that has come under scrutiny during the investigation. Investigators suspect that forged documentation may have been created to present trafficked children as the biological offspring of purchasing couples. The role of several intermediaries accused of locating buyers and facilitating transactions is also under investigation.
Officials believe the case extends far beyond a single kidnapping and may be linked to a wider child trafficking operation spanning multiple states. Based on the arrests, recovered documents and financial trails, investigators are now conducting a deeper examination of the network’s structure, funding channels and previous activities. Authorities say further arrests are likely as the investigation continues.
