Bhubaneswar: A couple in Bhograi area of Odisha’s Balasore district has allegedly sold their newborn daughter to an unidentified person from Mayurbhanj.

The couple—Manoj Das and Susama Das—of Taladi village under Bhograi block reportedly got Rs 10,000 by selling their newborn daughter.

According to sources, Susama had delivered a baby girl at Jaleswarpur Community Health Centre (CHC) on July 31. The baby girl was allegedly sold to a person from Mayurbhanj even before Susama’s discharge from the CHC, sources said.

The locals, meanwhile, alleged the involvement of some employees of the CHC in the incident.

“Some employees of the CHC were involved in the incident. As per our information, they had finalized a deal to sell the baby at Rs 2.5 lakh. The hospital staff, however, paid only Rs 10,000 to the couple,” said Arjun Kumar Praharaj, a former Panchayat Samiti member form the locality.

The couple, however, claimed that they have not sold their baby. “We have handed over our baby to a person from Mayurbhanj as we are unable to bring her up properly due to certain family issues,” said Manoj.

Susama too denied that they have received Rs 10,000 by selling the newborn baby. “We have a five-year-old daughter. I had visited the hospital several times to terminate my second pregnancy. But, the doctors and health staff did not help us in this regard. We are unable to raise another baby now. So, we handed over our baby to someone from Mayurbhanj,” she said.

The couple, however, admitted that they have handed over their baby to the Mayurbhanj man through a person named as Nandu, who works in Jaleswarpur CHC.