Newborn stealing racket: Role of NGO, CIA officers under lens

The ongoing investigations by Mohali police into the alleged newborn stealing racket saw more skeletons tumbling out of the closet, with investigators on Tuesday stating that they were now studying the possible involvement of a Non-Government Organisation.

Investigators said that the role of some police officers posted at the Criminal Investigation Agency had also come under the scanner after they learnt that a Chandigarh-based woman had lodged a complaint with Mohali district police alerting them about the possibility of existence of such a racket on Monday. However, no action was taken.

Police said that Parvinder Kaur alias Sakshi and her husband Charanbir Singh were produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Jagjeet Singh on Tuesday and were sent to two additional days of police remand.

The police told the court that the custodial interrogation of both the accused was needed as a fresh complaint of organ trafficking was lodged against them by a Chandigarh-based woman.

The police on Monday said they had received another complaint from a woman — one Roma Rani of Dhanas in Chandigarh — which stated that accused Sakshi and Sunny Kumar [the kingpin of the racket] had bought two children from a hospital in Mansa last year.

Sources in the police told The Indian Express that during interrogation, Sakshi had confessed that the two infants whom she had got from a private hospital in Mansa had later died. She had also allegedly confessed that she had got the children because she wanted to further sell them.

Meanwhile, it had also come to light during police investigations that Sakshi was the vice-president of an NGO called Step to New Life. Investigators believe that this NGO was being used to cover for her illegal trade. “We shall look into the activities of the NGO. Everything will be clear after a thorough probe,” a police officer said.

Meanwhile, Roman Rani who had lodged a complaint with the district police alleging organ trade by the accused, has also claimed in her complaint the possible involvement of three police officials posted in CIA of Samana in Patiala district.

Roma Rani in her complaint has alleged that Samana CIA in-charge, Inspector Vijay Kumar, and two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) Beant Singh and Pargat Singh, had connived with the main accused Sunny Kumar and extorted money from people who had bought children from the gang. Sunny at present is on the run. Contacted, all the officers, however, refuted allegation and alleged a conspiracy against them by Roma.