Mukesh Ranjan By

Express News Service

RANCHI: At least one sister of 'Missionaries of Charity' in Ranchi was arrested for her involvement in the illegal trade of children after taking a huge amount of money from the couples keen to adopt children.

According to police, the racket involved in the illegal trade was busted after a couple approached the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for not getting his child even after paying a sum of Rs 1.2 lakh to the lady working with the organization.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged against the Missionaries of Charity for being involved in human trafficking by the CWC. "So far one sister working with the 'Missionaries of Charity,' Anima Indwar, has been arrested while involvement of another sister has also been found during the interrogation," said SP City Aman Kumar.

Two sisters were also being interrogated by the local Police who are also may be arrested later, he added. Officer in charge of Kotwali Police Station asserting the arresting of Anima Indwar said that Rs 65000 has also been recovered from her possession.

"During the investigation, it has been revealed that they had been selling out children of unwed mothers illegally by taking a huge amount of money ranging from Rs 50,000 to 1.5 lakh," said officer in charge of Kotwali Police Station SN Mandal.

At least four such children have illegally been sold out by them so far, he added. The matter was revealed after a couple approached the CWC when they were not handed over their child even after paying Rs 1.2 lakh to the sister.

"A couple Saurabh Kumar Agrawal and his wife Preeti Agrawal from Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh came into contact of Anima through a local relative living in Ranchi, where she had been working and the deal was finalized. The child was born on May 1 and it was sold out to the couple on May 14," said CWC Chairperson Rupa Kumari. Later, Anima again called up the couple on June 30 asking them to come over to Ranchi as the child has to be produced in the Court to complete the legal process, she said.

The CWC Chairperson said that the couple came to Ranchi following which Anima took the child in the Court from where she ran away. "When they did not find Anima around, they went to the Missionaries of Charity but were not entertained by the following which the couple approached us and the matter was disclosed," she said.

Kumari said that when sisters in Missionaries of Charity were summoned by CWC, they recorded contradictory statement following which Anima and biological mother of the child was called who revealed everything before them.

During the interrogation, it was revealed that the children of Jhunnu Kumari, Hemlata Murmu and Shabnam were also sold out after taking a huge amount of money from different couples. There are two centres of Missionaries of Charity in Ranchi where troubled girls and unwed mothers are given shelter and rehabilitated. Meanwhile, a raid was conducted at Jail Road centre of 'Missionaries of Charity' by the Child Welfare Committee and 13 pregnant women were shifted to a shelter home.