Newborn trafficking racket busted in city, four arrested

Guwahati: A racket involved in trafficking newborns in the city has come to light after a newborn was sold to a Nalbari couple from near the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.Police have arrested four persons in connection with the case.A newborn was sold for Rs 2 lakh to a couple from Nalbari district through mediators on March 30. The incident came to light after a complaint was lodged by a person a day ago, police said.DCP Mrinal Deka said the complaint was lodged in Nalbari, but was transferred to Bhangagarh police station in Guwahati as the allegation was that the sale and purchase of the newborn took place there. He mentioned that no complaint was received from the hospital authority regarding any missing incident, nor from any other party. The police did not find any connection of the case with GMCH. They also confirmed that the baby was sold after the discharge of the mother from the hospital.Police have arrested four persons — Kulen Talukdar, his brother Bhaskar Talukdar, Champi Basumatary, and Munu Hoque. Sources reveal that Bhaskar, a medical representative by profession, first met a woman at a hotel in the city's Garchuk locality, where negotiations over the baby's price took place. His brother, Kulen, was reportedly childless, which led him to seek a baby through this illegal transaction. On March 30, the seller contacted them and called them to a hill behind GMCH to finalise the sale. Police suspect that an organised child trafficking network might be operating in the city.