The Kolkata Police have reportedly busted an illegal child selling racket in the city involving around 100 surrogate mothers and a network of hundreds of agents and sub-agents.
Mamata Patra, one of the principal brains behind this racket, has been taken into police custody.
The police have also been able to identify the involvement of a popular In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) centre in the racket.
Raid and search operations have already been conducted at the said IVF centre located at Anandapur in the southern outskirts of Kolkata.
The cops came to know about this racket while probing a case where a mother, Rupali Mondal, was arrested on August 1 for attempting to sell her child to another woman, Kalyani Guha.
Both Modal and Guha were taken to custody by the cops of the city police.
“Later as our sleuths went deep into the integration they identified the major racket behind it. Once any couple unable to bear a child in a normal process contacted the IVF center, its staff used to contact Mamata Patra, who promised the couple a child after a reasonable period of time.
In the meantime, Patra through her agent network would contact any woman coming from a financially backward section with a proposal for purchasing their womb at an amount ranging from Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000.
After the baby was born, it was handed over to the couple at an amount ranging from Rs 4,00,000 to Rs 4,50,000,” confirmed an official of the city police on strict condition of anonymity.
He said that recently Patra even rented her womb and earned a hefty amount by selling the newborn out of it. “In her case also the IVF center under scanner was the venue of surrogacy. We are now trying to track that particular newborn,” the city police official said.
Involvement of some IVF specialists in the matter is not being ruled out.
Earlier on July 23, a couple Jaideb Chowdhury (father) and Sathi Chowdhury (mother) were arrested by the cops of Khardah Police station in North 24 Parganas district of the state for selling their own child to get money to purchase alcohol.
Kanai Chowdhury, the grandfather of the child was also arrested.
Sushanta demanded Centre to start direct flight service along Agartala-Mumbai route
The state transport minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Monday met the Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu in Delhi and discussed a series of issues related to the development of air services from Agartala MBB Airport.
CM Dr Manik Saha discuses development railway services and infrastructure in Tripura
Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Monday met the General Manager (Construction) of North East Frontier Railway here in his chamber at the secretariat and discussed a series of issues related to the further development of railway infrastructure in the state and ease passenger movement.
State to get Rs 150 Crore for Tourism, Sushanta Meets Union Minister Shekhawat
The Central Government has sanctioned an additional ₹150 crore for the enhancement of Tripura's tourism sector, Tripura Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury announced on Monday.
CM to inaugurate 34 projects of Rs 250 Crore tomorrow
Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of various projects worth Rs 250 crore, comprising 34 projects, in Unakoti district tomorrow.
JP Nadda, BL Santosh arriving in state on March 9: CM Manik Saha
Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha today announced that BJP All India National President JP Nadda and National General Secretary (Org) B.L. Santosh will be arriving on March 9 to attend the two-year celebration of the present state government at Swami Vivekananda Maidan.
Two Bihar women held with cannabis at Agartala Railway Station
Acting on a tip-off, the Government Railway Police recovered 21 kg 65 grams of dried cannabis from two women at Agartala railway station. The estimated market value of the seized contraband is said to be over three lakh rupees.
UK PM announces new 1.6-billion-pound deal for Ukraine to buy missiles
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that Britain will allow Ukraine to use 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion) of British export finance to purchase more than 5,000 air defence missiles.
'PM Modi working for welfare of all communities without discrimination', says Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah Committee chief
Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah Committee Chairman Syed Afsar Ali Nizami on Sunday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for attending the Sufi music festival 'Jahan-e-Khusro' and said that he gave the message of brotherhood and works for the welfare of all communities and religion without any discrimination.