Baby-selling racket busted in Mumbai; 4 women among 5 held

Police Monday claimed to have busted a baby-selling racket in Mumbai with the arrest of five persons, including four women, who were allegedly involved in selling children for Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh each under the garb of adoption.

The Crime Branch of the city police busted the thriving racket late last week, an officer said.

Acting on specific information, Unit 6 of the Crime Branch raided a house at Sathe Nagar in Mankhurd and picked up a woman for questioning, said Akbar Pathan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection-1).

On information provided by her, the police detained two more women from the same area who were allegedly involved in the baby-selling ring, he said.

The role of another woman came to light later, he said.

Accordingly to the police, these women would approach new mothers from economically weaker sections and offer to facilitate "adoption" of their newborn babies for a price that ranged from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh each child, he said.

In one case, the