Court denies bail to woman accused in child trafficking case

Ahmedabad: A city sessions court on Saturday denied bail to Vandanaben Panchal, who is accused of child trafficking and was caught with a couple of other accused persons with an infant who was illegally bought from Himmatnagar town in Sabarkantha.On Jan 28, the crime branch officials intercepted a car heading towards the city airport and nabbed three persons transporting a child, who was allegedly bought illegally for Rs 3.60 lakh. The child was to be sold to a person in Hyderabad in Telangana. Police arrested Panchal, Roshan alias Sajjan Agrawal from Hyderabad, and Sumit Yadav. After the police remand, Panchal was sent to judicial custody on Feb 4.
In her bail plea, Panchal maintained her innocence and submitted that the names of the co-accused and the main accused in the child trafficking racket were revealed. Since she is a friend of the co-accused in the case, she was implicated.Public prosecutor Sudhir Brahmbhatt opposed the bail plea and submitted that Panchal's role as a mediator in the child trafficking racket was exposed. She was booked under the provisions of the BNS and the Juvenile Justice Act. She got the child from Himmatnagar and was caught with the child when the cops intercepted the vehicle. The investigator also highlighted an FIR registered against Panchal in Hyderabad in 2025 with regard to an alleged child trafficking racket.After hearing the case, city sessions Judge P B Patel rejected Panchal's bail plea and said, "The accused is facing charges of child trafficking. Considering the gravity of the offence, and when such offences are on the surge nowadays, it is not appropriate and justified to release the accused on bail."