Kerala Police bust an alleged newborn trafficking operation in Kottayam district and arrest two suspects, officials say. The case comes after a complaint from a pregnant woman from Assam, who approached police and reported that she had been lured into the scheme. According to the police account, the woman is 22 years old and left her home in Assam after refusing pressure from in-laws to abort her pregnancy. She says network members targeted her through social media, posing as charity workers who offered shelter and prenatal assistance. The woman is alleged to be taken to Teekoy in Kottayam and kept in an isolated rented house owned by a local resident. After childbirth, police allege the suspects pressured her to hand over the newborn; when she refused, they allegedly assaulted and threatened her. The woman later escapes and is found by local residents, who alert authorities. She is then taken to a care home in Kottayam and narrates the incident, leading to a formal investigation. Police say the woman reports that other pregnant women are also held in the same house for the purpose of selling their newborns. Investigators add that the operation involves agents linked to Thiruvananthapuram and have formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the larger network.
Kerala Police arrest two in alleged newborn trafficking racket in Kottayam
Kerala Police bust an alleged newborn trafficking operation in Kottayam district and arrest two suspects, officials say. The case comes after a complaint from a pregnant woman from Assam, who approach...
- Kerala Police arrest two people in Kottayam in connection with an alleged newborn trafficking racket.
- The case investigation begins after a 22-year-old pregnant woman from Assam files a complaint with police.
- Police allege the woman is lured via social media by people posing as charity workers offering shelter and prenatal assistance.
- Authorities say the woman is kept in an isolated rented residence in Teekoy, and she reports alleged coercion and assault after childbirth.
- Police say the complainant alleges other pregnant women were being held in the same place, and a Special Investigation Team is formed to probe further.
Kerala Police have uncovered an alleged human trafficking racket operating from a secluded house in Kottayam district, where pregnant women from other states were allegedly lured with promises of shelter and care before their newborns were sold, officials said.The operation came to light after a 22-year-old pregnant woman from Assam approached the police with a complaint. Acting swiftly, the Erattupetta police arrested two prime suspects—Raja, a native of Tamil Nadu, and his brother-in-law, Arjun.According to reports, the woman had left her marital home in Assam after refusing pressure from her in-laws to abort her second pregnancy. Vulnerable and without support, she was allegedly targeted through social media by members of the trafficking network posing as charity workers offering accommodation and prenatal assistance.Trusting their assurances, she was brought to Teekoy in Kottayam and housed in an isolated rented residence owned by a local resident. What initially appeared to be a safe refuge soon turned into an ordeal.CJP Warns Of Renewed Nationwide Protest, Alleges SC Interim Order Undermines Centre's Assurance On FIRs Police alleged that the suspects later pressured the woman to surrender her baby immediately after childbirth. When she refused, they allegedly assaulted and threatened her.The woman eventually escaped the house and was found wandering by local residents, who alerted the authorities. She was then shifted to Santhwanam Care Home in Kottayam, where she narrated her ordeal, prompting a formal police investigation.During questioning, the woman told police that she was not the only victim. She alleged that at least two other pregnant women were being held at the same house with the intention of selling their newborns.Preliminary findings indicate that the women were brought to Kottayam by agents based in Thiruvananthapuram. Investigators believe the operation had been running discreetly for more than a month without raising suspicion among neighbours.Given the seriousness of the case and the possibility of a wider trafficking network, senior police officials have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to carry out a comprehensive probe.
1 hour agoThe racket got exposed following a complaint filed by a 22-year-old pregnant woman from Assam.
4 hours agoThe probe was launched following a complaint lodged by a pregnant woman from Assam, who escaped from the racket the other day
6 hours ago
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