Couple Detained for Selling 3 Children

BHUBANESWAR: In a shocking incident, an indigent couple was detained by City Police here on Wednesday for allegedly selling their children, including a 22-day-old boy, for financial gains.

Kharavel Nagar Police swung into action following a complaint lodged by City-based Ruchika Childline in this connection.

The complaint stated that the couple - Shyama Chandra Rao and Pramila - sold three of their five children. The 22-day-old boy was allegedly sold for `6,000 to a Bihar-based couple who, however, denied the charges and said they had adopted the baby since the mother was very sick and could not take care of the newborn.

Ruchika Childline lodged the FIR with the police after rescuing a 13-year-old boy, one of the five children of the couple, from Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh. 

The Childline, in its report, alleged that Shyama And Pramila had seven children of which two died. Of the rest, the 13-year-old boy had run away before being rescued at Vizianagaram while a girl is still with the couple. The rest three are alleged to have been sold.

The latest sale was that of the 22-day-old boy for `6000 to the couple from Samastipur. However, the couple told police that they shared an old friendship with Shyama and Pramila. Since Pramila was ailing, she wanted them to take care of the boy.

However, Member of Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Khurda Benudhar Senapati said a non-judicial agreement was seized from Shyama’s possession in which the transfer of custody of the 22-day-old boy was documented for `6,000.

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