Six employees of various hospitals have been arrested by Mysuru district police for being involved in a child trafficking and kidnapping racket in Nanjangud.

Five of the accused were employed at private hospitals. One was employed on contract at the government-run KR Hospital in Mysuru. All the six were members of an organised group, reported The Times of India.

Venkatesha, Mohan, Mahesha, Srimathi, Renuka and Usha have been detained. They have been booked under various sections of the IPC, including kidnapping a minor for the purpose of begging and trafficking.

According to SP Ravi Channannavar, the police suspect that there are more persons involved in the racket.  “We suspect a big gang to be behind this,” he said.

TOI reported that the police suspect more than 20 people to be involved in this.

Channannavar said the suspects have confessed that they trafficked children who were found abandoned and begging on the streets, orphans and wards of single-parents. They had to find prospective buyers for these trafficked children too. 

They operated predominantly in Mysuru and surrounding areas.

“We have rescued a few children,” said Channannavar.

However, the exact number of children kidnapped by them or those who have gone missing has to be confirmed, he added.

The issue came to light after Shanthamma, mother of a 30-month-old toddler who went missing, filed a complaint with the Nanjangud police in April.

Channannavar said that the child is yet to be traced.