World · South & Central Asia · 3 hrs ago
Ratlam police rescue infant amid suspected trafficking cases
Two cases involving children and nurses have emerged in rural Ratlam, where officials say some underage girls gave birth at government health centres.
The cases have raised concerns about possible newborn sales and human trafficking, though no trafficking finding is stated.
The Ratlam Child Welfare Committee suspects human trafficking and has investigated the cases.
In one case, police sent an infant to a children’s home after finding the child with a nurse; the nurse said the baby was her son, but the child’s grandfather said she had taken the baby.
Police rescued the infant and registered an FIR against the nurse after receiving documents.
A second case involved a six-year-old girl who had been living with a retired nurse and had no birth certificate or Aadhaar card and had not been sent to school.
Ratlam police rescued an infant from a nurse after a newspaper investigation raised suspicions of unauthorised custody and possible trafficking.
The investigation reported two cases involving newborns of minors being kept by nurses at government health facilities in rural Ratlam.
The Child Welfare Committee also expressed suspicion of human trafficking.
In one case, a child’s maternal grandfather said a nurse had taken the child on the pretext of playing.
A separate inquiry found a six-year-old girl living with a retired nurse without a birth certificate or Aadhaar card, and not attending school.
- Who
- Ratlam police rescued an infant from a nurse. The Child Welfare Committee and a newspaper investigation raised concerns about other children in nurses’ custody.
- What
- Police rescued an infant amid reported cases of unauthorised custody of children and suspected trafficking.
- When
- The reported rescue followed events on June 22–24, 2026. The article was published on November 5, 2026.
- Where
- Ratlam district, Madhya Pradesh, India, including the Rajapura Mataji health centre.
- Why
- The rescue followed concerns that nurses had kept children born to minors without authorisation. The Child Welfare Committee suspected human trafficking.
Child Welfare Committee and police
Nurses
Basis for custody
Child Welfare Committee and police
The committee suspected trafficking and said a nurse had presented another person’s child to it.
Nurses
One nurse showed a birth certificate and said the child was her son; a retired nurse later claimed a girl was her child.
A nurse retired from the Rajapura Mataji hospital, where a six-year-old girl was later found living with her.
Medical officer Dr. Rohit complained in a departmental WhatsApp group about deliveries of minors and nurses keeping their newborns.
Police sent an infant found with nurse Anita Kharat to a children’s home.
Kharat showed a birth certificate and said the child was her son.
The child’s maternal grandfather submitted an affidavit saying Kharat had taken the child on the pretext of playing.
- Reported cases
- 2 cases involving children kept by nurses
- Rescued child
- Infant found with nurse Anita Kharat
- Police action
- Child sent to a children’s home on June 22, 2026
- Grandfather’s affidavit
- Submitted June 24, 2026
- Other child
- Six-year-old girl found with a retired nurse
- Article publication
- November 5, 2026
What people are saying
A case has been registered against the nurse and the child has been rescued.
We wrote several letters to the police and the SP, but no action was taken.
Work contrary to the rules is happening at my hospital, and after deliveries of minors, their newborn children are kept by the nurses themselves.