KORAPUT: In a shocking incident highlighting abject poverty, a couple from Rayagada district reportedly sold their nine-day-old daughter for Rs 20,000 to a couple from neighboring Andhra Pradesh.
The couple, identified as residents of Nuapada Colony under Chandili police limits, has a three-year-old daughter and faced severe financial hardships.
On November 3, the wife gave birth to their second daughter at the district headquarters hospital. The father, Rahul Dhanbeda, works as a truck helper with a meagre monthly salary of Rs 1500. Struggling to provide for the newborn, they reportedly turned to a mediator, who facilitated the sale of the child.
“We don’t have a ration card to access free food grains. Our precarious financial situation left us with no choice but to make this heartbreaking decision,” said Rahul.
The child was allegedly sold to K. Chandra Sekhar and his wife from Pedapenki village in Parvatipuram Manyam district, Andhra Pradesh. On November 11, Sekhar traveled to Rayagada and adopted the infant through a written agreement on court paper.
Local anganwadi and ASHA workers grew suspicious when they noticed the infant was missing and reported the matter to Child Line authorities. Following this, members of the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) and Child Welfare Committee (CWC) launched an investigation.
“We visited the family’s home and found that they had given the child to the Andhra couple through a stamped paper agreement. The parents, however, denied receiving any money, though our inquiry revealed a transaction of Rs 20,000,” said Nirakar Padhi, a DCPU member.
Efforts are underway to bring the child back to Rayagada. “We have contacted the couple who took the child and asked them to return immediately. If they fail to comply, legal action will be taken,” Padhi added.
District Child Protection Officer Bichitra Sethi stated, “It is illegal to transfer custody of a child through a stamped paper agreement. An inquiry is ongoing, and appropriate legal action will follow.”
The incident sheds light on the economic plight of tribal families and raises concerns about child protection mechanisms in the region.
The incident comes close on heels after a woman in Khaprakhol block in Balangir district, allegedly gifted her newborn girl to unidentified persons since she could not afford to raise her due to acute poverty.