In a major breakthrough in a multi-state child trafficking racket, Mumbai Police arrested a 43-year-old woman doctor from Hooghly, West Bengal, recovering two minor children in the process. The arrested accused has been identified as Dr. Reshma Santoshkumar Banerjee.
The operation was initiated following a missing person complaint filed by Amar Dhiren Sardar on August 5, 2024, regarding his son-in-law Anil Purvayya and two-year-old grandson. Investigations soon revealed a disturbing chain of events.
Police discovered that Anil Purvayya had allegedly sold his son for Rs1.6 lakh with the help of three accomplices:
Asma Shaikh
Sharif Shaikh
Asha Pawar
Anil and Asma were arrested in Mumbai, and during interrogation, they named Asha Pawar, who was later apprehended in Hyderabad. Pawar confessed that the child was sold at Bhubaneswar railway station on July 9, 2024, to Dr. Reshma Banerjee, facilitated by the group.
Banerjee, previously associated with Hi-Tech Dental Hospital and SUM Hospital in Bhubaneswar, had left her positions by the time investigators reached. Technical surveillance later traced her to Hubli, Kolkata, where she was arrested by Mumbai Police. She was found in possession of the trafficked child and another unidentified three-year-old girl.
The children were presented before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Hubli. While one child was handed over to Mumbai Police, the unidentified girl was moved to a shelter home for care and further identification efforts.
Banerjee was produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Serampore and granted transit remand to Mumbai. She has since been remanded in judicial custody in Mumbai, where the investigation continues.
