Mumbai: Police arrest another woman in baby-selling racket

Fatima Shaikh is reunited with her family. File Pic

The Santacruz police on Wednesday night arrested a woman from Hyderabad over her alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a one-year-old girl, Fatima Shaikh, which occurred on October 30. The infant was allegedly picked up from a footpath near SNDT college at Santacruz West by two women - Sharifa alias Kajal Shaikh and Sujata Pawan - who were arrested from Solapur by the Mumbai crime branch about 48 hours later. The woman who was nabbed recently, Aapa Khan, 40, has been brought to Mumbai.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Aapa had agreed to buy the baby from Sharifa and Sujata for R50,000 but because the toddler was thin, she brought the price down to Rs 25,000 when she met the duo in person. However, suspecting that something was amiss, Aapa did not hand over the money or take custody of Fatima and sent the duo back to Mumbai with the child.

Also Read: Mumbai: One-year-old kidnapped near SNDT college rescued from Solapur in 48 hrs

"By then, teams from the Mumbai crime branch and Santacruz police got wind that the duo had left for Hyderabad. While the latter waited for the accused at Pune station, the former nabbed both women at Solapur station and rescued the child," said an officer from Santacruz police station. "Aapa has bought and sold kidnapped children before. She also provides women to desperate couples for surrogacy. About six women work for her in Hyderabad in this capacity," the officer added.

The police on Wednesday also detained a transgender from Mumbai who was found to be working for Sharifa and Sujata. The transgender would allegedly inform the accused about vulnerable children who could be easily kidnapped.