Belagavi: In a significant breakthrough, three individuals were apprehended for their involvement in an inter-state child trafficking operation spanning across Karnataka and Maharashtra, authorities reported on Monday. Previously, four women connected to the same syndicate had been taken into custody for similar offenses.
The latest arrests stemmed from the detention of four suspects the previous week. Belagavi’s Superintendent of Police, Bhimashankar Guled, revealed that following information gathered during their questioning, a team led by Hukkeri’s station inspector, MK Basapur, arrested Sangeeta Hammannavar from Gadhinglaj in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, along with Mohan Tavade and his wife, Sangeeta Tavade, from Ratnagiri. The search is still on for two other suspects, Nandkar Doralekar and his wife, Nandini, who remain elusive.
The trafficking ring primarily targeted widows with young children, convincing them to remarry under the guise of offering a fresh start, only to separate the children from their mothers and sell them for large sums. The gang manipulated men seeking second marriages, assuring them that the children would be cared for elsewhere.
In one case, the gang arranged the marriage of two widowed individuals, Raju Magdum and Archana. They sold Archana’s ailing son for ₹3 lakh to the Doralekar couple. Suspicion led to a missing persons report, uncovering further trafficking crimes, including the sale of a six-month-old child.
The investigation continues, with authorities examining possible connections between the traffickers and fertility clinics.
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