Thirteen arrested in infant trafficking racket after couple relocates to Gurgaon
An interstate child trafficking racket operating out of Northwest Delhi has been busted, leading to the arrest of 13 people, including a couple who had relocated to Gurgaon to conceal the illegal purchase of two newborn babies.
The ongoing investigation has exposed a sophisticated network where infants were referred to as "files" and sold for up to Rs 10 lakh in cash. The epicentre of the syndicate was Hira Multi Speciality Hospital in Begumpur, which recently wore a deserted look with its shutters down. The hospital's owner, Dr. Viveki, is among those arrested. At her residence in Rohini, a relative claimed to be unaware of the racket, noting that the doctor's husband is a government employee and her daughters are preparing for medical entrance exams.
According to investigators, one of the arrested couples, 37-year-old Mukesh and his wife Reema Pal, originally from Gwalior, had been married for nearly eight years and could not conceive due to medical complications. Mukesh, a truck driver with a modest but steady income, visited several IVF centres in Delhi and Gurgaon with his wife. During this period, they met an accused named Pratibha, who allegedly offered them a way to get a child.
To deceive their family, the couple lied that Reema was expecting and shifted to Gurgaon in September 2025, claiming she needed better medical care. On May 17, Pratibha directed them to Hira Multi Speciality Hospital, where fake hospital records and admission documents were prepared to make it appear as though Reema had been admitted for delivery.
The couple was initially offered a newborn boy for Rs 8 lakh. However, because a newborn girl was also available, they purchased both babies together for Rs 9 lakh in cash.
The police have also arrested Sunny Arora and Ritu Arora from Panipat, who allegedly bought a baby boy for Rs 6 lakh in cash in March.
The mastermind of the syndicate has been identified as Sayabhai Ghamar, also known as Kalia. Police have rescued five infants so far and are conducting raids in Uttar Pradesh to recover two more.
