Another case of alleged child sale surfaces in Odisha’s Rayagada

A couple in Rayagada district gave away their nine-day-old baby girl to another couple in Andhra Pradesh allegedly due to poverty

Another couple in Odisha’s Rayagada district has given away their newborn baby girl, citing their inability to raise her. This has come to the light following a similar case of alleged child sale in Balangir district this month.

Rahul Dhanbadi and Kumud Ganta, a young couple in their twenties who reside in the Nuapada slum near J.K. Pur on the outskirts of Rayagada district headquarter town, had executed notarised ‘Deed of Adoption’ agreement with a couple from Parvatipur Manyam district of Andhra Pradesh for handing over the baby.

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The girl was born on November 3 while the notarised documents were created on November 11, which according to law is not legal process of adoption.

When asked why she gave away her infant daughter, Ms. Ganta explained that they were not in a position to care for the child. The couple already had a three-year-old daughter. Initially, she stated that she received ₹20,000 in exchange for the baby. However, as the issue garnered widespread attention, she changed her version, claiming the child was given away in good faith.

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Meanwhile, Rayagada district administration launched multi-level probes. “The investigation is incomplete. The woman is changing her statements. It is premature to give any conclusive remark on the incident,” Kalyani Sanghamitra Devi, sub-collector of Rayagada, said.

The baby was brought from Andhra Pradesh and produced before Child Welfare Committee, Rayagada. The CWC heard both the sides.

While the father works as a driver, the small family is yet to have a ration card to access subsidised food grains. The couple does not have their own house to stay. The sub-collector said the man is from New Delhi and it was not ascertained if he was eligible to be brought under National Food Security Act implementation in the State.

This is the second allegation of child sale this month. Due to acute poverty, a couple had given their one-day old to an unnamed recipient in Khaprakhol block of Balangir district. The infant was traced in a paediatric hospital in Raipur, capital city of Chhattisgarh.

Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo met with the parents on Tuesday (November 19, 2024) and later instructed the Balangir district administration to carry out a comprehensive investigation and provide a detailed report. During the meeting, the couple admitted to Mr. Singh Deo that they had no choice but to give up their baby, as they were financially unable to support the nurturing of child.

Published - November 20, 2024 07:26 pm IST