Belagavi Police have arrested three individuals linked to an inter-state child trafficking ring operating across Karnataka and Maharashtra. Sangeeta Hammannavar from Kolhapur, and Mohan Tavade with his wife Sangeeta Tavade from Ratnagiri were detained after the earlier arrest of four women involved in the same gang.
The gang exploited widowed women, coercing them into remarriage and then separating them from their children to sell the babies for large sums. The investigation revealed that in one instance, a five-year-old child was sold for Rs3 lakh. Authorities have also identified additional cases involving the sale of a six-month-old child.
Police are investigating links between infertility clinics and traffickers, which could have facilitated connections to childless couples. Investigations are ongoing, and efforts are underway to locate two other absconding suspects involved in the racket.
