Over 50 babies trafficked through recently busted racket in WB: CID

"After interrogating the arrested, we have come to know that the North 24 Parganas based child trafficking racket trafficked more than 50 babies," ADG (CID) Rajesh Kumar told IBNS.

"After arresting College Street's Shri Krisna Nursing Home owner Partha Chatterjee, we seized as many as 15,000 INR, US Dollars, Euros, Hong Kong Dollars and ornaments," Kumar added.

Earlier on Monday night, CID busted a child trafficking racket at privately-run Sohan Nursing Home under Baduria Police Station limits in North 24 Parganas district and arrested eight persons, including the nursing home owner, in connection with the case.

Three newborn babies, two out of which were placed in biscuit-packing case, were rescued from a damp room in the nursing home.

After interrogating the eight arrested, the CID later booked five more persons, including 60-year-old doctor Santosh Kumar Samanta, administrator of M. G. Road's Shri Krishna Nursing Home Paramita Chatterjee, its owner Partha Chatterjee and owners of South View Nursing Home in city's Behala area- Putul Banerjee and Probha Bhaumick.

After getting inputs from Putul Banerjee, CID raided an old-age home in Kolkata's Thakurpukur area and rescued ten baby girls.

Home's owner- Rina Banerjee- and a staff of the old-age home were arrested, while two more staffers have been detained for interrogation.

Meanwhile, CID officials on Friday dug a garden at Maslandapur, behind the accused NGO office, and recovered bones and skulls of at least two babies.

"We have got few more names as a part of this ongoing probe and will catch them soon. I won't reveal those names as the investigation is in pre-matured state," Rajesh Kumar said.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)

In Image: How ten baby girls were placed in the old-age home.