Cop, 4 others get 14-year RI in child trafficking case

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Chandigarh, January 27

Additional Sessions Judge Narender has sentenced five persons, including 3 women, to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment (RO) in a two-year-old case involving an interstate child trafficking racket busted by the UT police. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs1.20 lakh each on the convicts.

Those who have been jailed include Amarjit Singh, a constable in the Punjab Police, Mandeep Singh, a resident of Punjab, ASHA workers Kuldeep Kaur of Patiala, and Sarabjit Kaur of Sangrur, and Bhawna of Burail, Chandigarh.

The police had arrested them near the Airport light point on August 3, 2020. The court had earlier held the accused guilty of the commission of offenses punishable under Sections 370 and 120-B of the IPC and Section 81 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, on January 22.

The police had laid a trap after receiving a tip-off on illegal sale of a child by a Punjab-based gang. After getting information, a decoy customer was sent and the deal was struck for Rs4 lakh for a boy. They were caught near the Airport light point on Dakshin Marg while they travelling in a car. Three women and two men were sitting in the car. One of the women was holding a newborn in her lap. The two-day-old boy was to be sold for Rs4 lakh.

The Police claimed that the accused used to sell a girl child between Rs80,000 and Rs1 lakh and a boy for around Rs4 lakh. The police claimed that the child was born a week before being brought to Chandigarh for sale.

Amarjit Singh, one of the accused was working as a constable in the Punjab Police and residing in Kharar, Mohali. Bhawna was also from Punjab. She was living in a rented accommodation in Burail, Chandigarh.