A woman travelling from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh with her two young children on May 13 unknowingly fell into the trap of an unidentified man and woman she met at Lucknow Railway Station. Earning her trust during the journey, the duo escorted her out of Raebareli Railway Station on the pretext of taking her to a dhaba for food. While she was occupied, the two fled with her nine-month-old baby.
Following her complaint, Raebareli Police registered Crime No. 109/2026 under Section 140(1) BNS, 2023. As per officials, multiple teams were activated instantly. Officers inspected the spot, extracted technical inputs, reviewed CCTV footage and used surveillance to follow the suspects’ trail, they added. These efforts led investigators towards the Moradabad-Rampur region which prompted the rapid deployment of police and surveillance units. A coordinated manhunt resulted in the safe recovery of the kidnapped child, as per officials.
Key accused identified, wider network uncovered
Police identified Ramkumar Das and his wife Reshma Devi from Araria district in Bihar as the primary accused. Investigators reported that the couple had gained the mother's trust during travel and exploited her vulnerable moment to kidnap the child.
The investigation soon pointed to a broader child-transfer racket involving brokers and facilitators. Officials discovered the involvement of Sumit Kumar, who allegedly acted as an intermediary promising infants to childless couples. Another link, Kiranjeet alias Sardar Aunty, surfaced for allegedly convincing people that children could be exchanged for money.
The kidnapped infant was reportedly meant to be handed over to Sanjay Kumar Saini from the Moradabad belt, who was seeking a child. Police also identified individuals associated with medical setups whose roles are under closer scrutiny. These people include Dr Brahmpal Singh, Archana, Babita and Harishchandra, who are being examined for their alleged involvement in earlier child-transfer activities and the circulation of children’s photographs, as per officials.
Financial trail points to money transfers
A financial probe revealed that out of an alleged Rs 50,000 share, Rs 10,000 had been transferred to a relative of Kiranjeet alias Sardar Aunty and another Rs 10,000 directly to her account. Police are tracking the complete money flow to uncover the involvement of all brokers, receivers, clinic-linked suspects and beneficiaries.
Persons detained or under interrogation
Police action has led to the custody or interrogation of the following individuals:
- Ramkumar Das – the main accused in the kidnapping
- Reshma Devi – co-accused
- Kiranjeet alias Sardar Aunty – link person
- Sumit Kumar – intermediary
- Sanjay Kumar – intended receiver
- Brahmpal Singh – clinic-linked, under inquiry
- Archana – under inquiry
- Babita – under inquiry
- Harishchandra – under inquiry regarding the circulation of children’s photographs
