Jagatsinghpur: A man has allegedly sold off his 15-day-old baby boy at Charchika Bazaar in Jagatsinghpur district, police said Monday. Later, the newborn was rescued from Pokapur village in the district. Police said that the father of the newborn sold the baby to Kangali Mallick of Pokapur village for Rs 10,000. The grandmother of the baby lodged a complaint at the local police station Sunday after she came to know about the incident.
After the complaint was filed by the grandmother of the newborn, local police and members of the Child Protection Unit initiated a search operation and rescued the baby. The police also detained Mallick, who allegedly paid Rs 10,000 to buy the baby boy.
Police are suspecting that the father of the newborn sold the baby after a bitter argument broke out between family members. “The newborn’s grandmother has lodged a complaint alleging that a deal was struck to sell the baby for Rs 10,000. An investigation into the matter is on,” Bisweswari Mohanty, Jagatsinghpur Child Welfare Committee (CWC) chairman, said Monday. He also added that the parents of the newborn have also agreed to surrender before the police and also deposit the Rs 10,000 that was paid for the baby.