In a rather shocking incident of sorts, a young couple in Uttar Pradesh sold their newborn child for a sum of Rs. 1.5 lakhs ($15,000 million). Reason? They wanted a buy a second-hand car, and there was no way out but to trade their infant daughter to tick the goal off their bucket list.
While the couple were successful at cracking a deal, and procuring the money from a businessman, the stint was short-lived as the baby’s maternal grandparents alerted cops in Tirwa Kotwali police station, Kannauj, on Thursday (May 13) about the bizarre incident.
“While the baby is still in the possession of the trader, we have called the woman and her husband for questioning on Friday,” stated inspector Shailendra Kumar Mishra, as cited on News18, while addressing the status of developments pertaining to the case. Mishra further added that the couple was able to bring home a four-wheeler after the deal with the Gursahaiganj-based businessman came through.
The child was born three months ago, and the young parents seemed unprepared for the arrival of a new member. Not much has been disclosed about the man and his wife, nor has there been a revelation as to what they do for a livelihood. But, going by their actions and the decision they’ve made, an acute financial crunch is likely to have propelled the man and his wife to have taken such a drastic measure.
However, as distressing as it may sound, the truth is child trafficking and abuse rackets are on the rise in several parts of the country.
In a similar incident, a farm laborer in Karnataka’s Chikkaballapur district reportedly sold his infant daughter for financial gains in the past year. The incident was brought to light by the laborer’s neighbors who realized something was amiss after his spending power substantially increased after the deal came through.
Given how the crime has seen an unprecedented rise in Maharashtra as well, the police have reportedly launched a probe after busting a racket that sold infant girls for Rs 60,000 (around $820) and boys for Rs. 1,00,000 (around $ 1366). The racket was run by a woman identified as Rukhsar Shaikh, as reported by Times Now News.
