Kolkata: Police in Burdwan unearthed a child trafficking racket late Sunday night, days after a similar racket was busted and several children, including newborn, rescued in North

In the latest incident, police arrested three persons, two of whom are women. The police learnt about the racket after locals caught one Roshanara Khatun, a resident of Bahir Sarbamangalapara, upon learning that she had allegedly smuggled a newborn from Life Nursing Home at J.B. Mitra Lane, where she worked as a maid, and sold the baby to a couple for Rs 10,000. Neighbours of the childless couple who bought the baby heard the cries of the newborn and went in to enquire, police said, adding the husband, Khokan Sheikh, confessed to having bought the newborn from Roshanara in exchange for Rs 10,000.

Furious locals barged into Roshanara’s house and handed her over to the officers at Burdwan police station who arrested her.

The police later arrested the owner of the nursing home, Sadhan Kumar Ghatak, and Roshanara’s colleague Sandhya.

As per preliminary investigations, Roshanara had made an offer to Mr Sheikh’s wife a few days ago. She told her she could “arrange” a child but it would cost money. A deal was made when the wife agreed to the offer.

Roshanara allegedly stole the baby girl from the nursing home the day she was born and delivered her to the couple that same evening. The police later rescued the newborn and also sealed the nursing home.

On Monday, the police produced the three accused, Roshanara, Sadhan and Sandhya, before the court, which has remanded them to five days’ police custody.

The district police has also informed the criminal investigation department, which is probing the child trafficking racket it busted earlier in North 24 Parganas’ Baduria, in which children were rescued from an old age home.