Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: A 22-year-old woman fled an alleged newborn trafficking ring in Kerala. She traveled 3,000 kilometers from Assam to escape family pressure regarding her pregnancy. She sought a safe haven for her unborn child. Instead, she walked into a trap.
The victim contacted an Instagram account posing as a charity. They promised her free housing and medical care. She arrived in Kottayam on July 16. K S Arjun, a 21-year-old student from Idukki, met her. He took her to an isolated house in Theekkoy. The property sat near a rubber plantation. It served as a base for Muppili Raja and his wife, a nurse named Anitha.
The woman grew suspicious when traffickers demanded she hand over her baby for 3 lakh rupees. She escaped with help from a local anganwadi teacher. She reported the ordeal to the Erattupetta Police. The state now houses her in a government shelter in Gandhi Nagar.
Police arrested Muppili Raja, 27, and K S Arjun. A local court remanded both to judicial custody. Officers continue to hunt for a woman identified as Harshitha. Investigators are looking at the Instagram account and financial records to uncover the full scope of the operation. Police confirmed, "Preliminary findings indicate that the accused may have links to a wider network involved in procuring and trafficking newborn babies."
Authorities are checking if the gang targeted other women across state lines. The probe remains active.
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