Delhi: CBI court clears accused of child trafficking, transfers case to lower court

A special CBI court in Delhi ruled that Pooja Kashyap, who was accused in a high-profile child trafficking case involving the sale of five infants, had not committed offences under Sections 370(4) and (5) of the IPC. The case stemmed from a complaint filed by a senior CBI official on April 5, 2024.

During the framing of charges, Advocate Robin Baisoya, representing Kashyap, argued that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence of trafficking. The Special Judge of the CBI Court concurred and ordered the case to be transferred to a lower court for trial on lesser charges.

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In a court order dated November 7, it was stated, “No offence under Section 370 IPC has been established against the accused persons, and they are accordingly discharged of the charges under Section 370 IPC.”

However, other charges, including those under Section 120-B, 420 IPC, and Section 81 of the JJ Act 2015, remain and are triable by the Court of Magistrate, the order stated.

The investigation began with a CBI raid on April 5, during which agents apprehended three individuals—Neeraj, Indu Pawar, and Aslam—during an attempted infant sale in Tri Nagar, Delhi. During the operation, the CBI seized Rs 5.1 lakh and an infant.

Subsequent raids uncovered further evidence, including an infant recovered from Kashyap’s residence in Kanhaiya Nagar. Additional children were found with other accused individuals, including Kavita and Hari Singh.

The probe revealed a wider trafficking network using falsified adoption papers to sell infants to unsuspecting couples, as seen in Patiala, where a newborn was sold as part of a fabricated legal adoption.

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The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to dismantle the network and ensure justice for the victims.