Vizag police on Sunday arrested six people, including two doctors and two ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers for their involvement in child trafficking. Their actions came to light when a recent case of a baby being sold to a couple in Kolkata came to light.
According to reports, Vizag city Commissioner of Police Rajiv Kumar Meena said that a widowed woman from V Madugula village in Vizag had revealed the information about the doctors and their associates. The ring reportedly offered free delivery and money to the woman in exchange for her baby.
According to the Times of India, police have arrested Dr Patchipala Namrata, Managing Director of Universal Srushti Fertility and Research Centre; Dr Tirumala, who also worked at the same hospital; and two ASHAs named Venkatalakshmi and Annapurna. Two more men named Chandra Mohan and Ramakrishna were also arrested for their involvement.
Preliminary investigation in the V Madugula case was taken up by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) before a complaint was registered with the police on June 24, the Commissioner said.
Modus Operandi
According to Commissioner of Police RK Meena, the doctors involved had branches of fertility centres in Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata as well. They would reportedly conduct free medical camps in rural areas, to identify vulnerable women through local agents or ASHAs who might give up their babies.
“They would select poor and destitute people who are not in a position to raise their child, or want to sell their child,” the Commissioner said, adding that the ring would look for vulnerable pregnant women in tribal areas as well.
Police also revealed that the accused Dr Namrata earlier ran a hospital by the name Srushti Hospital. This was changed to Universal Srushti Fertility and Research Centre in 2018, after Guntur police registered two criminal cases for alleged child trafficking, The New Indian Express reported.
According to reports, the ring would also pose as the babies’ parents and obtain fake birth certificates from the GVMC (Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation).