The Special Juvenile Aid Police Unit (SJAPU) of the Mumbai Crime Branch has submitted a 270-page charge sheet before the Esplanade court against Julia Lawrence Fernandes, 35, and her accomplice, who allegedly operated an illegal adoption and child trafficking operation. Fernandes and her associate, Shabana Shaikh, were apprehended by the SJAPU in July last year in an undercover operation after receiving information from the Women and Child Development Department, Pune.

A child, who is now one year old, was rescued from them. The charge sheet has revealed that the accused have not disclosed the identity of the baby’s biological parents to this day. The child is now available for adoption and is currently in the care of the Mahalaxmi-based Bal Asha Trust, a charitable organisation that helps abandoned and destitute children in Mumbai. “It became challenging to obtain information about the child’s biological parents because the accused was never placed in our custody. Instead, the court remanded her in judicial custody and subsequently granted bail. The accused did not cooperate throughout the investigation. The charge sheet has significant evidence against her, including WhatsApp chats, in which she discussed rates and illegal adoptions,” an officer familiar with the investigation revealed.