Police in Bijnor have arrested six people, including a newborn’s parents, in connection with the alleged purchase and onward sale of a 15-day-old infant. The baby boy was reportedly bought from his biological parents for ₹2 lakh and subsequently sold to a childless couple in Haridwar for ₹5 lakh. Officials stated that the infant has been safely recovered, while an inquiry is underway to determine whether the network had engaged in similar child trafficking transactions in the past.
The complaint and initial arrests
The matter came to light after Tajuddin, a resident of Bhurapur village in the Nagina area, approached authorities on September 28. He alleged that his sister Shabnam and her husband Farman had handed over their 15-day-old son to Nainpura-based midwife Shafikan and an associate named Fareed, after which the infant was transferred through intermediaries. Following the registration of the complaint, investigators traced the financial transactions and arrested Farman, Shabnam, Shafikan, alleged buyer Salochana from Haridwar, and two intermediaries identified as Jitendra Kumar alias Vicky and Kapil alias Rajveer.
Financial strain and the hospital network
Police stated that Shabnam and Farman were already parents to four children before recently having twins, a boy and a girl. Facing acute financial distress and unable to meet the costs of raising the newborns, the couple allegedly agreed to sell their infant son. Midwife Shafikan arranged the initial deal with Jitendra Kumar, described by police as a quack doctor, and his wife Shivani. The pair negotiated to buy the child for ₹2 lakh on August 28, 2025. Records indicate the birth took place at Piyush Hospital, while Kapil facilitated the ₹2 lakh payment at Raunak Hospital.
Profit distribution and expanding probe
The newborn was subsequently sold for ₹5 lakh to Pritam Saini and his wife Salochana in Haridwar. The intermediaries allegedly split the ₹3 lakh profit among themselves, taking ₹1 lakh each. When the infant’s parents learned of the higher selling price, the intermediaries reportedly paid them an additional ₹1.5 lakh to prevent a dispute. Investigators continue to analyze phone records, financial trails, and hospital connections to establish if other individuals assisted the network and whether previous sales occurred.
Follow for daily updates on cybercrime, corporate fraud, DFIR, hacking, investigations, and digital forensics
