Gujarat Child Trafficking Racket Busted In Sabarkantha, Five Arrested Across Two States
A man from the Khedbrahma region had sold one of the children for Rs 2.5 lakh.
Published : March 23, 2026 at 7:30 PM IST
Sabarkantha: A major human trafficking racket has been busted in the Khedbrahma area of Sabarkantha in Gujarat. The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Sabarkantha Police has arrested five accused from two states. The two other children were trafficked two months ago. Among those involved is an accused who allegedly sold a nine-year-old girl for Rs 2 lakh.
Police investigations revealed that two children were sold together two months ago. Following an intensive probe by the district LCB and AHTU teams, it emerged that a man from the Khedbrahma region, identified as Laxmanbhai Dabhi, had sold one of the children to Pramod Rajvanshi for over Rs 2.5 lakh.
Acting on further leads, police apprehended five accused. The rescued child has been admitted to the Himmatnagar Civil Hospital for treatment. Authorities have ensured proper medical care.
Investigators said that while many families seek children as support in old age, several economically weaker parents are falling prey to greed and exploitation. The racket was allegedly operated by Mahendrabhai Dabhi along with four others, and they were targeting vulnerable families.
Earlier, reports had also surfaced about the trafficking of two children from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, and a probe into that case is ongoing. Preliminary findings suggest that the children found at the airport were also victims of trafficking. In a shocking revelation, the child’s own father is suspected of being involved in the crime.
Police have warned that the illegal sale of newborns and children, which is part of a wider human trafficking network across multiple states, could emerge as a major challenge in the future if not curbed.
Five accused arrested
Those arrested in connection with the case hail from Sabarkantha, Ahmedabad, and Udaipur (Rajasthan). The accused have been identified as Malji alias Maliya Dabhi (resident of Ponai, Khedbrahma), Suvan alias Sovam Dabhi (resident of Dighdali, Khedbrahma), Devji alias Deva Pardhi (resident of Mamre, Udaipur), Laxman Dabhi (resident of Medi village, Udaipur), and Pramod Rajvanshi (resident of Motera, Ahmedabad).
A case has been registered at the Khedbrahma Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, including Sections 143(4), 61(2)(A), and 54. The AHTU and local police are further investigating whether a larger inter-state child trafficking network is involved.
Authorities have said that if such trafficking activities, which originated in Khedbrahma, spread to other districts, it could pose a serious law-and-order challenge in the coming years.
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