Cyberabad Police rescued the infant and arrested five people involved in the criminal operation.

Accused caught after two days of search

The deal was nearly complete when Cyberabad Police intercepted the accused, rescued the infant and busted an interstate child trafficking racket, arresting five people involved in the conspiracy.

The baby was safely reunited with her biological mother after an intensive investigation that lasted nearly two days and involved multiple police teams tracking the accused across Hyderabad and neighbouring districts.

Baby snatched while mother slept

Disclosing the case details before the media at his office here on Friday, Cyberabad Commissioner of Police Dr M Ramesh, IPS, said that the incident occurred in the early hours of June 30.

Malan Bourav Shantha Bai (25), a circus worker from Bidar district of Karnataka, was sleeping on the pavement beside the wall of Lingampally Railway Station along with members of her circus troupe.

At around 2 am, two men allegedly arrived in an auto-rickshaw, forcibly lifted the one-month-old baby girl from her mother's lap and sped away. The mother woke up to the baby's cries and tried to chase the vehicle, but the kidnappers managed to escape.

Based on her complaint, Chandanagar Police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Juvenile Justice Act, the CP said.

Three teams scan CCTV footage

Recognising the seriousness of the case, Cyberabad Police formed three special teams under the supervision of RC Puram ACP Ch Y Srinivas.

The teams, led by Chandanagar Inspector S Vijai, Ameenpur Detective Inspector Sathyanarayana and Chandanagar Detective Inspector N Bhaskar, examined numerous CCTV cameras across Cyberabad, Hyderabad and Malkajgiri, besides analysing other technical and human intelligence inputs.

After nearly three days of sustained efforts, the police identified the accused, rescued the baby and arrested all those involved.

Conspiracy to procure a newborn

Investigation revealed that a 30-year-old woman from Kolkata, who had remained childless after her marriage in 2021, had allegedly approached her aunt living in Hyderabad to arrange a baby in exchange for money.

The aunt allegedly contacted another woman in Neredmet, who passed on the information to her fiancé, promising him a hefty payment if he could procure a newborn.

The prime accused then enlisted the help of his associate, an auto driver with a previous theft case, and the duo allegedly began searching for a vulnerable target.

Targeted family sleeping on pavement

While moving around the city, the accused allegedly spotted the circus worker and her newborn sleeping on the pavement near Lingampally Railway Station.

Police said the duo returned during the early hours of June 30, kidnapped the infant and took her to the residence of one of the mediators before informing the prospective buyer in Kolkata.

On July 1, the woman allegedly travelled from Kolkata to Hyderabad by flight to take custody of the baby.

Rs 1.5 lakh transferred online

According to investigators, the prime accused received Rs 1.5 lakh through an online transaction from the woman as payment for the illegally procured infant.

Before the accused could leave Hyderabad with the baby, police intercepted them, rescued the child and arrested all five accused.

Five arrested, baby reunited with mother

The arrested include two alleged kidnappers. The two women allegedly acted as mediators and the prospective buyer from Kolkata.

Police said the swift operation not only ensured the safe rescue of the infant but also led to the dismantling of an interstate child trafficking network. The rescued baby girl has since been restored to the custody of her biological mother.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner commended the investigating teams for their prompt action, coordinated investigation and successful rescue operation.