Mumbai Human Trafficking: Minor Boy Forced To ‘Act’ As Transgender, Join S*x Trade; 2 Arrested

Mumbai, April 5: The Mumbai Police have successfully dismantled a highly organised human trafficking syndicate following the rescue of a 17-year-old boy who was allegedly kidnapped, forced into a transgender identity, and systematically exploited for financial gain. Two primary suspects, identified as Safed Alam (alias Zara Akhtar Khan) and Babu Guru (alias Babu Ayan Khan), were arrested on Thursday night after a relentless search by the victim’s mother. The minor, a resident of Govandi, had originally sought employment in a mobile repair shop in Vashi to support his financially strained household after passing his 10th-grade exams in late 2025.

By February 2026, the teenager's family was shocked when he was spotted by his elder brother at the Chheda Nagar signal, dressed in feminine attire and standing among a group of transpersons. When confronted, the boy initially claimed he was still at work, but he failed to return home that evening and switched off his mobile phone. His mother began an exhaustive search through the lanes of Rafiq Nagar, where locals eventually directed her to the residence of Babu Guru, a figure known in the area as "Guru Ma," who initially met her with verbal abuse and threats. Mumbai Shocker: 2 Men Kill Friend Over ‘Stolen’ Fish, Later Discover Rats Ate It.

The mother eventually located her son at a residence in Baba Nagar and attempted to end the nightmare by sending him to their native village in Varanasi for his own safety. However, the reach of the syndicate proved extensive, as the boy vanished from the village on March 8, prompting a missing person’s report at the local Cholapur Police Station. Suspecting that the traffickers had lured him back to the city, the mother returned to Mumbai, only to receive a call from the accused Zara informing her that her son was back in their custody. Mumbai Shocker: Man Kills Live-In Partner by Slitting Her Throat With Knife in Mira Road After She Refuses To Marry Him, Arrested.

Upon arrival, the mother found her son entirely dressed in women’s clothing and appearing heavily coerced. It later emerged that between March 10 and April 1, the minor had been held in illegal confinement and subjected to systematic abuse. During this period, he was forced into a life of begging across local trains and various city junctions. The accused reportedly confiscated every rupee of his earnings while providing no support, further coercing him into "unnatural physical relations" with male clients at Chheda Nagar and GM Link Road for their own monetary profit.

The investigation into the suspects revealed a much larger criminal enterprise led by Babu Guru, who is allegedly a Bangladeshi national. For three decades, Babu managed to evade law enforcement by utilizing a sophisticated suite of forged Indian credentials, including a fraudulent birth certificate, Aadhaar card, and PAN card. Acting as a central linchpin for a cross-border network, Babu is alleged to have orchestrated the illegal entry of at least 200 individuals from Bangladesh, funneling them through the porous Murshidabad border in West Bengal into safe houses in Kolkata.

Once the victims reached Mumbai, they were sequestered in cramped, high-density quarters in Shivaji Nagar. The syndicate further exploited these individuals by extorting monthly rents ranging from INR 5,000 to INR 10,000 per head. Mumbai Police are now widening their investigation to determine if other minors have fallen prey to similar "forced transformations" and trafficking schemes. This case serves as a stark reminder of the sophisticated methods used by trafficking rings to exploit vulnerable youth for profit under the guise of communal identity.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 05, 2026 09:14 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).