The Telangana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed the state women development and child welfare department to conduct a thorough inquiry into the child selling racket recently busted in the state and to take appropriate action.

Taking cognisance of media reports on the racket, the commission asked the department to take up a thorough inquiry to trace the actual culprits involved and to take appropriate action.

The commission also alerted the department "to ensure safety of the children through strict vigilance on the possible sale and purchase transactions across the state on priority to avoid such instances in future," it said in a release.

A police official said that 16 children have been rescued in the racket so far and that they have been sent to a state-run children's home.

As the childless women who purchased infants from agents of the racket expressed anguish over the children being separated from them, the police official said the procedure on adoption of children was explained to them.

Some of the women, who were accompanied by their family members, broke down when authorities took away the children two days ago. The women said they were raising the kids with love and care as their own.

The women and their family members gave a letter to the police seeking relief, which was sent to the Women and Child Development Department, police sources said.

However, the police official asserted that those who illegally purchased the children are accused in the case as per law. "But, counselling has been done (for them)," the official said.

Police said here on Tuesday that an interstate child-selling racket was busted with the arrest of 11 persons who were selling infants in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a price ranging between Rs 1.80 lakh and Rs 5.50 lakh.

The Rachakonda Police had acted based on information that a racket was being run wherein infants brought in from different places. including Delhi and Pune, were being sold here and in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to childless couples.

The gang apparently lured poor families into parting with their children.

Acting on specific information, police arrested three persons on May 22, and based on their confession, eight others were apprehended on Monday, Rachakonda Police Commissioner Tarun Joshi had said.

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