BAIL APPLN. 2516/2026 1 $~66 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + BAIL APPLN. 2516/2026 & CRL.M.A. 19415-19417/2026 VINOD KUMAR .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Sarthak Karol, Mr. Nishant Singh, Ms. Neelakshi Bhadauria and Mr. Shashank Sharma, Advocates versus STATE GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI .....Respondent Through: Mr. Sunil Kumar Gautam, APP for State SI Deval, PS Bhajanpura CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANOJ JAIN O R D E R % 08.07.2026 1. Applicant seeks anticipatory bail in case FIR No. 0043/2026 registered at Police Station Bhajan Pura for commission of offences under Section 143(4) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (corresponding Section 370 IPC) and Section 81 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. 2. At the very outset, it needs to be emphasized that applicant is a serving police officer of Uttar Pradesh. 3. An FIR was registered on 26.01.2026 based on the statement of one Mohd. Adil. He had an argument with his wife Fiza @ Ruhi (co-accused herein) and feeling annoyed, she left her matrimonial home with baby-boy. Such baby-boy was a newborn, hardly 10-20 days old at that time. When This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 13/07/2026 at 15:14:24 BAIL APPLN. 2516/2026 2 complainant went to the house of his brother-in-law (brother of his wife) and brought his wife back, he did not find his new born son anywhere. His wife told him that believing that he had deserted her, under such exceptional circumstances, she was compelled to sell her newborn baby to meet her expenses and to take appropriate treatment for her other child i.e. elder daughter. 4. On the basis of aforesaid, FIR was registered and investigation was carried out. 5. Fiza @ Ruhi was arrested on 27.01.2026 and continues to be in incarceration. Her brother Zuber was also arrested who had, allegedly, received a sum of Rs. 95,000/- in lieu of the sale of the aforesaid newborn baby. One Indu was also arrested. 6. Newborn baby was sold for a total sum of Rs. 2.95 lacs. 7. Admittedly, the aforesaid baby was, eventually, recovered from the possession of applicant Vinod Kumar as he himself brought the child to the police station on 27.01.2026. He claimed that aforesaid child was given to him by a lady named Indu. 8. Learned counsel for applicant submits that applicant is not involved in the aforesaid matter and he has not committed any offence. He does admit that applicant was issue-less for quite some time and had even undergone a fertility treatment. He submits that he had adopted the baby in question through Adoption Deed and had followed the due procedure. 9. Learned Addl. P.P. for State submits that custodial interrogation of the applicant is imperative to unearth the conspiracy and money-trail. 10. As per investigation, money was paid/transferred by him to one middleman. This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 13/07/2026 at 15:14:24 BAIL APPLN. 2516/2026 3 11. Recovery memo of the child forms part of the charge-sheet which indicates that when the applicant Vinod Kumar had come to police station and produced the aforesaid baby, he claimed that he had come in contact of one lady who revealed herself as Dr. Indu and apprised him that she could arrange for some babies as there were some such babies with her. He stated that she sought donation for proper upkeep and upbringing of such babies and he had paid a sum of Rs. 3.50 lacs as donation. 12. Quite apparently, at this stage, it looks like that applicant, who despite being a police officer, purchased a newborn baby through dubious means and, therefore, keeping in mind the seriousness of the matter and the fact that allegations are with respect to sale-purchase and trafficking of a child, this Court does find any reason to enlarge the applicant on anticipatory bail. 13. Application is accordingly dismissed. 14. Other pending applications also stand disposed of in aforesaid terms. MANOJ JAIN, J JULY 8, 2026/dr/sa This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 13/07/2026 at 15:14:24