4-year-old kidnapped rescued within hours, child trafficking racket busted

Gujarat Police have dismantled an alleged interstate child trafficking racket that kidnapped children and sold them outside the state for Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh. A four-year-old child was rescued within hours of being abducted from a busy highway in Banaskantha district.

The child was kidnapped near Dhanpura Patia, triggering panic in the area and prompting swift police action. Authorities launched ‘Operation Dev’, deploying seven teams, including the Local Crime Branch, Special Operations Group and other units.

Investigators examined nearly 70-80 CCTV footage clips from the highway stretch and used technical surveillance to track the suspects. Based on sustained monitoring and analysis, the child was safely rescued near Danta within hours, officials said.

Police arrested Shailesh Gamar, a resident of Kansa village in Danta taluka, in connection with the abduction. His associate, Babu Bhagora, was also taken into custody.

Both accused are being interrogated to ascertain the full extent of the network.

Officials said Gamar had earlier sold a minor girl for around Rs 1 lakh, indicating a pattern of repeat offences. Bhagora is suspected to have been involved in arranging illegal marriages of young women in exchange for money.

Police suspect the racket has interstate links and have expanded the probe to identify other members and trace past trafficking cases.

“The swift action led to the rescue of the child and the busting of a major trafficking network. Further investigation is underway,” Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Prashant Sube said.

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Inputs by Pareshkumar Kishanlal Padhiyar in Banaskantha