Delhi: Eight arrested for selling newborns to childless couples

New Delhi: Eight people have been arrested for allegedly selling newborn babies to childless couples in the national capital, police sources said on Monday. The arrests were made over the last month.

The police sources said so far only the couriers, who were involved in delivering the babies, have been arrested and they are looking for others connected with the racket. They said the kingpin of the racket, suspected to be a woman, is yet to be arrested.

The racket came to the notice of the Delhi Police Crime Branch last month, following which two police personnel met one of the accused posing as a childless couple, they said. He was arrested after he handed over a newborn baby to the police personnel, they added.

Four babies have been rescued so far, the police sources said, adding that it is being probed whether the newborns were kidnapped from hospitals. So far, sources said, they have not found any missing complaints registered for the babies.

"It is a matter of investigation whether the parents of the babies were informed by hospital authorities that their children were stillborn and the newborns were handed over to those involved in running the racket," sources said.

Another source said the police are also probing whether the parents voluntarily handed over their newborns to the accused for money. The police suspect IVF clinics and employees of some hospitals could be involved. They are also probing whether it is a pan-India racket.