Dharamshala, Feb. 25 -- Dehra police on Tuesday said that it has arrested six more people in connection with an inter-state infant trafficking racket, bringing the total number of arrests to nine, officials said on Tuesday. Those arrested have been identified as Neelam Singh, Rimpy, Kiran, Jasmel Kaur, Kulwinder Kaur, Karamjeet Kaur. All of them were arrested from Punjab. Earlier, Deepak Anand, Maninder Jeet Kaur, alias Ritu and Anita were arrested on February 21 and a minor (15-16 months old) was also recovered during the investigation. The investigation revealed that financial transactions totaling approximately Rs.4.85 lakh were made in the illegal purchase and sale of the child. He was sold by the biological mother, Kiran, who was arrested from Punjab and was given to a lady in Kangra district. The child has been handed over to the Special Adoption Agency for care, protection, and further legal proceedings. Out of the arrested, seven are females and two males. Of the seven, one is from Haryana and six from Punjab and the male are from Punjab and Himachal, respectively. All were arrested from Punjab. The crackdown follows the unearthing of a Punjab-based gang that allegedly sold infants under the guise of facilitating adoptions. The probe began after a complaint by Rohit Rana, a local resident, on February 17 in which he alleged he was defrauded of Rs.23,500 by an agent, Deepak Anand, on the false pretext of arranging adoption of a newborn baby. Subsequent raids in Jalandhar and Batala, following the complaint, in Punjab led to the arrest of Anand and two women accomplices on Saturday, exposing a network that duped aspiring parents. As per police, the complainant, an aspiring adoptive parent, had come into contact with the accused Deepak, a resident of Kangra, through an intermediary. They allegedly agreed on a deal to obtain a baby. However, the complainant later suspected fraudulent activity and reported the matter to the police. The entire arrangement was illegal and bypassed the procedures laid down by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). Anand, a marketing employee at a hospital in Jalandhar, acted as the primary agent by identifying prospective adoptive couples, collecting advance payments, and connecting them with other members of the network. Meanwhile, Maninder Jeet Kaur facilitated communication between the agents and the suppliers of newborns. Anita Rani, a resident of Jalandhar, who was working in a private IVF clinic centre, coordinated arrangements after the initial contact and communicated with Kulwinder Kaur regarding the availability of a child. Kulwinder Kaur then contacted Neelam Singh and Rimpi (Bathinda) for procurement of the who further coordinated with Jasmel Kaur and Karamjit Kaur for sourcing newborn. Jasmel and Karamjit acted as local facilitators in arranging and transferring the newborn. According to Dehra superintendent of police (SP) Mayank Chaudhary, the gang functioned through a web of primary agents who scouted for "clients" across state borders. "Technical analysis and financial trails helped us connect the links. On February 23, special teams arrested six more suspects from Punjab. The investigation in the matter is underway," the SP said. The racket shows how desperate couples are attempting to bypass the CARA regulations. Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, any adoption outside the CARA framework, which involves mandatory registration onthe portal and rigorous home study reports, is a criminal offence. While the legal process is often lengthy, CARA's tough regulations are designed to prevent child trafficking and ensure the safety of the minor. Illegal direct adoptions, like the ones promised by this gang, offer no legal protection to the parents or the child and carry a penalty of up to three years in prison or a fine of Rs.1 lakh, or both....