Child Trafficking Case: Delhi Court Declines 2nd Bail Plea Of Woman Accused

A Delhi court has recently rejected the 2nd bail application of Pooja Kashyap, a woman accused in a high-profile child trafficking case involving the alleged sale of 5 infants.

Kashyap requested bail on the grounds of parity, claiming that another accused woman, Kavita, had been granted bail.

However, the court dismissed her plea, citing the specific details of her involvement in the case.

The case was registered on April 5, 2024, following a complaint by J. Chandru, Deputy SP at the CBI, alleging illegal trafficking and the sale of infants in Delhi and other states. The investigation implicated Neeraj, Indu Pawar, and Kashyap, who were reportedly involved in a conspiracy to buy and sell children.

The charges also named Pooja Kashyap alongside other accused individuals.

Special CBI Judge Gagandeep Singh, in his order passed on November 4, noted that Kashyap’s role was clearly outlined in the charge sheet, particularly her involvement in the trafficking of “Infant No.1.”

According to the charge sheet, Kashyap had posed as an adoptive parent to the biological parents of the infant, Sima Kumari and Akash, who identified her as one of the women involved in the illegal transaction.

In response to Kashyap’s claim for bail based on parity with Kavita, the court stated that her actions differed significantly from those of the co-accused.

The judge emphasized that the evidence against Kashyap was substantial, leaving no room for claims of equal treatment with the other accused. “In the said backdrop, no parity can be claimed by the accused with accused Kavita,” the court observed.

Further strengthening the prosecution’s case, the court highlighted the CDR (Call Detail Record) of Kashyap’s mobile phone, which raised doubts about her claim of merely being a caretaker for the infants.

According to the CDR, on April 4, 2024—the day of the trafficking of Infant No.1—her phone was located in the vicinity of Kerala and Delhi for several hours, casting doubt on her involvement in the crime.

Additionally, the court reviewed intercepted phone calls in which Kashyap appeared to discuss the trafficking of infants, further corroborating the charges against her.

On April 5, 2024, CBI authorities arrested Neeraj, Indu Pawar, and Aslam in the act of delivering an infant in Tri Nagar, Delhi. The agents seized a sum of Rs. 5.1 lakh and the infant during the operation. Kashyap was also arrested when another male infant was recovered from her home in Tri Nagar, Delhi.

The investigation continued to uncover further details about the trafficking network. Another female infant was recovered from co-accused Kavita at the instance of another accused, Anjali alias Golu. In total, four infants were rescued during the CBI raids and placed in the care of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).

The investigation also revealed that on March 7, 2024, co-accused Anjali and Neeraj sold a newborn baby boy to a couple in Patiala, Punjab. To cover up their illegal act, Neeraj prepared fake adoption documents, listing Rahul Mehrolia and his wife Sushma as the child’s biological parents.

The baby was later recovered and placed in a Child Welfare Institution by the CWC.

Given the gravity of the charges and the evidence presented, Judge Singh concluded that Kashyap’s bail application lacked merit. In his ruling, he firmly rejected her request for regular bail under Section 439 of the Cr.P.C.

The court’s order underscores the seriousness of the allegations against Kashyap and her co-accused, as well as the ongoing efforts to dismantle the child trafficking ring.

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