MUMBAI: The police busted a child trafficking racket on Friday and arrested five people including the parents of the 3-month old baby who had been sold for ₹40,000 to an acquaintance of their landlord. The child was later resold twice, first for ₹80,000 and then again to a Malad resident for ₹1.30 lakh in November, the police added.
According to the Shahu Nagar police the case came to light when the child’s mother, Kirti Ranjan Sharma, one of the accused, approached them on January 6. She told them that she had gotten married to Ranjan Sharma in November 2024 and in October 2025 the Vasai-based couple had a daughter.
A police officer said, “Since they stayed in a rented house and were struggling financially, their landlord told them to handover the baby to someone who would be able to take care of her.” Kirti then got a call from Naseera Hussain Shaikh, a resident of Matunga Labour Camp, who said she wanted to adopt the child. Kirti then visited Shaikh’s house and handed over the baby to her.
On November 12, Kirti and Shaikh executed a deed for the adoption of the child and got it notarised outside the Bandra court, after which Shaikh paid her ₹40,000 for the child. At first Kirti would meet the child often and would even see her through video calls, but eventually, she found out that her baby had been resold on November 26, 2025 to Priya Rakesh Khandare, a resident of Shahu Nagar for ₹80,000.
According to the police, Khandare too resold the child to Anjali Roshan Sahani, a resident of Malad. “When Sahani was questioned she told the police that she purchased the girl from Priya Khandare also known as Priya Rajgire for ₹1.30 lakh,” the police said.
Following the mother’s complaint, the police called in her landlord and Shaikh for questioning and the investigation led them to Sahani in Malad from where the child was then rescued. “The child was then taken into custody and produced before the Child Welfare Committee in Matunga that has kept it at Child Asha Trust in Mahalaxmi,” said a police officer, adding that Kirti, Ranjan, Shaikh, Khandare, and Sahani have all been arrested.
The police said they have registered a case against the accused under sections 143 (trafficking of person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and under sections 75 (cruelty to a child) and 81 (sale and procurement of children for any purpose) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The police are questioning the accused to check if they have earlier sold or purchased minors in a similar way.