Kendrapara: The district administration Friday launched a probe into the sale of a newborn girl by her mother at a private nursing home. District collector Reghu G directed an inquiry after Orissa POST carried a report in its Thursday edition.
Gitanjali, wife of Nirakar Moharana of Righagada delivered a girl child at a private clinic near the district head quarters hospital Wednesday night. The couple decided to sell the newborn as they already had two girls.
According to Gitanjali, she with her husband Nirakar Moharana of Righagada village went to the district headquarters hospital after she underwent labour pain August 1. However, their Asha worker Annapurna Moharana admitted her to Surya Nursing Home where she delivered a baby girl.The couple who aimed to have a boy were heart-broken after the birth of a girl.
“When we were discussing about how to pay the hospital bill of Rs 7,500, a sweeper and Annapurna told us to sell the child. As we also didn’t want another girl child, we agreed to the proposal of the sweeper and Annapurna,” Gitanjali claimed.
Later, after being communicated by the sweeper, two people came to the hospital and paid Rs 7,500. They also provided Rs 1,000 for medicine and Rs 500 for fruits and took away my newborn baby, Gitanjali added.
Nirakar lodged a complaint alleging that the Asha worker and sweeper forced them to sell their newborn.
Accordingly, police registered a case and started a joint inquiry with the District Child Protection unit officials and the Child Welfare committee members. The team conducted a raid at the nursing home and detained the sweeper and Annapurna.
The team also conducted raids at Ranapada and Jaipura areas to nab Sahabuddin and Sultana who were identified as the buyers of the baby. It was learnt that the two had admitted the baby to Sishu Bhawan in Cuttack. A team visited Cuttack to check on the health condition of the baby, officials said. PNN
