Cyberabad police arrests child kidnapping gang operating in and around Hyderabad; rescues six children

A child kidnapping racket that had been operating across Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Sangareddy for the past four years has been exposed with the arrest of five persons, officers from the Cyberabad police said on Monday (September 1, 2025).

The gang, led by an Ayurvedic practitioner Raju, targeted children under the age of five, abducted them from railway stations and isolated areas, before selling them to childless couples through a network of associates, said Madhapur Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) G. Vineeth.

“The case came to light after a woman reported that her four-year-old son, Akhil, had gone missing from their hut near Pochamma Temple, Lingampally, on August 26 while she was away at a hospital. Following her complaint, Chandanagar police registered a case, formed special teams, and apprehended the prime accused, Chilukuri Raju, a resident of Patancheru. Investigations revealed his links to four others in the gang,” said the officer.

The police arrested as Raju, who runs an Ayurvedic store; Mohd Asif, a vegetable vendor from Patancheruvu; Rizwana, a clinic operator from Siddipet; Narsimha Reddy, a mason from Moosapet, and Balaraju of Patancheruvu. “Raju kidnapped his first victim, a baby girl, from Kachiguda railway station four years ago and sold her for ₹42,000. Since then, he continued to abduct children with the help of Asif and Rizwana, who arranged sales to desperate parents,” added the officer.

The gang’s latest offence was the abduction of Akhil, in which Narsimha Reddy assisted. In another disturbing finding, one parent from Patancheruvu allegedly sold his newborn babies, one three days old and another just a day old, through Asif to other couples.

So far, police have traced and rescued six children : Akhil (5), Arun (2), Ammulu (8 months), Lasya (5), Adivik (2) and Priya (1). Three of them were reunited with their parents, while efforts are underway to identify the families of the remaining children.

They were handed over to the District Child Protection Officer for safe custody. The police also recovered ₹5 lakh in cash.