Bolangir: Police in Odisha’s Bolangir district Monday rescued a 28-day-old baby girl who was allegedly sold by her parents for Rs 20,000 due to extreme poverty, officials said.
Police rescued the infant from the house of a couple at Paikamal in neighbouring Bargarh district and handed it over to the child welfare committee (CWC), Titlagarh sub-divisional police officer Kalyan Behera told PTI over the phone.
She, however, said no one was detained or arrested in the case as there had been no formal complaint.
Bolangir district CWC in-charge chairperson Lina Babu confirmed that the infant was rescued from the house of a couple at Paikmal.
“We have not started an inquiry into the matter as the infant’s rescue was our priority. During the day, we will launch a probe and lodge a police,” she said.
According to sources, the alleged incident of child sale came to light on Sunday from Bagdera village under Bhaleigaon Panchayat in Titilagarh sub-division.
A poverty-stricken couple, identified as Nila and Kanak Rana, has been accused of selling their newborn daughter for Rs 20,000, police said.
However, the Paikmal couple denied allegations of purchasing the child, but claimed that they brought the baby keeping in view her biological parents’ poverty.
Officials said Nila and Kanak are both remarried. Nila has three daughters from his first wife, while Kanak has one daughter from her previous marriage.
Citing financial distress, the Rana couple allegedly handed over the newborn to the other family.
“We have not sold her. We gave the baby for her better upbringing, not for money,” Nila Rana told the CWC.
In November 2024, police and CWC had rescued a newborn that was allegedly sold by her mother after her birth to a private hospital in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The incident was reported from Lathor area in Bolangir district.
PTI