Nagpur police took action under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (Macoca) against the gang of Ayesha Khan alias Shweta Sawle who were selling newborn babies. This is the first action taken in the state from Nagpur. The crime branch registered the highest number of cases in the state and arrested 58 accused.
In the past few months the sale of newborn babies in the city had increased significantly. Childless couples from many states used to come to Nagpur and buy newborn babies for Rs 8 to 10 lakhs. These gangs had a turnover of crores. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar took cognizance of this and assigned the responsibility to the team of the then Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmay Pandit and Head of Unethical Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) Rekha Sankpal.
AHTU team found as many as 8 gangs in the investigation. 58 accused including doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and hospital staff were found involved in baby selling. It turned out that Ayesha Khan alias Shweta Sawle was the main mastermind of the gang. Information came to light that Ayesha has sold nearly hundred babies so far.
Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar ordered to take action against this gang under ‘Macoca’. Ayesha alias Shweta, her husband Maqbul Khan, Sachin Patil, Dr. Nitesh Maurya, Ritesh Motwani, Salamullah Khan, Rekha Appaso Pujari, Munnibai Dwarkaprasad Lilare are accused in this case.
Ayesha Khan was trading newborn baby by luring those who got pregnant from immoral relationships. Ayesha, a sanitation worker at a hospital in Dhantoli, opened a bogus hospital. she put up a sign that she was an obstetrician doctor. In that hospital, doctors, nurses and staff were paid. In this hospital minor girls, unmarried young women or widows who got pregnant from immoral relationships were given birth. Their babies were being sold in other states.