BERHAMPUR: Battling acute poverty, a couple of Rayagada allegedly gave away their nine-day-old child to a family from Andhra Pradesh, in Nuapada Sahi village under Chandili police limits of the district.
Even as the alleged baby sale incident in Balangir hogged the headlines, the Rayagada story has now come as another shocker.
A notarised deed of adoption which facilitated the child’s change of custody said it was carried out without any force, fraud, coercion and influence. The deed, however, was severely flawed.
The natural mother Kumud Ganta (22) and her husband Rahul Dhanbadi (25), a driver by profession, allegedly gave away the newborn girl to a couple from Pedapenki village in Andhra Pradesh on November 11, nine days after her birth on November 3.
On the day, the Rayagada district child Protection unit, along with social worker Satyapriya Pradhan visited the family and enquired about the incident. The child welfare committee (CWC) and the Women and Child Development (WCD) department also began a probe.
“We had information the baby was sold off. This, however, appears to be a case of illegal adoption caused by poverty. We are instructing the couple (from Andhra Pradesh) to present the child before the CWC. If the natural parents cannot take care of the baby, they must hand her over to the government,” said Pradhan.
Kumud claimed since her family does not have a ration card, it was deprived of PDS rice and other government benefits. The 22-year-old said acute poverty forced her to stay at her brother’s house and buy rice from outside. “My baby was not sold off. We gave her away because of our inability of raise the kid. The family adopted her,” she said.
Due to financial constraints, Rahul said, it was difficult on his part to manage the family with two children. “That’s why I agreed to give away my newborn,” he added.
The source said, a woman of Kottapeta village in neighbouring AP came to know of Kumud’s family and made the move for the alleged adoption. The woman frequents the Chandili area.
When Kumud shared her family’s hardships, the woman suggested they hand over the newborn to a childless relative of her. Accordingly, a deed of adoption was prepared in Rayagada.
The natural parents of the infant and the couple from AP have been asked to be present before CWC on Wednesday.