Jajpur: Police arrested Sunday five persons including an Anganwadi worker for allegedly selling a newborn girl for just Rs 12,000 in this district. Among those nabbed under the Dharmasala police limits are the father of the girl and the two buyers.
The accused have been identified as Natabar Behera, father of the newborn, Kailash Barik and Sasmita Barik, the two buyers, Prabhasini Das, an Anganwadi worker, and her brother Police informed Sunday that Kanchan, wife of Natabar, who is a resident of Sanaraipara village, had delivered January 27 a baby girl at Dharmasala Community Health Centre (CHC).
It has been alleged that Natabar allegedly sold the newborn the very next day to ‘childless’ couple Kailash and Sasmita who are currently residing at Paradip. However, locals who were aware of the development brought the incident to the attention of the officials of the Jajpur district administration.
The Jajpur district child protection unit was directed to inquire into the matter and submit a detailed report. Based on a written complaint lodged by the concerned department, Dharmasala police registered a case and initiated probe into the incident.
Police had rescued the baby girl Saturday and Sunday arrested all the five involved in the deal. The accused were produced in court Sunday and remanded to police custody, officials said. They informed that the health centre was not aware of the alleged sale.
Meanwhile the father of the newborn stated that poverty had forced him to sell his daughter. “We already have three children. As I am a daily wager, so it will be very hard to look after a six-member family. So, we decided to give the newborn to the couple. They are relatives and well off. So we thought, they will be able to raise the girl in a proper manner,” Natabar said.
PNN