Titilagarh (Balangir): In a heart-wrenching incident stemming from acute poverty, a couple from Bagdor village in Bhalegaon panchayat under Titilagarh block of Odisha’s Balangir district allegedly sold their newborn daughter for just Rs 20,000.

The couple, identified as Neel Rana and his second wife Kanak Rana, reportedly handed over their infant to another couple from the Paikmal area in Bargarh district with the help of a local middleman named Ravi Machhkhand.

According to reports, Neel Rana already had three daughters from his first marriage. Financial hardship led to a breakdown in his first marriage, after which his wife returned to her parental home. Neel later married Kanak, and the couple had two daughters—one just 13 months old, and the newborn sold shortly after birth at the government hospital in Titilagarh.

Following the incident, the district administration swiftly initiated a probe. Titilagarh police detained both the middleman and Neel Rana for questioning, while a joint team of police and Childline officials was dispatched to Paikmal to rescue the baby girl.

Locals stated that Neel works as a daily wage labourer and lives in abject poverty. Despite his dire financial condition, he reportedly has not received benefits under key government welfare schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and resides in a dilapidated mud house.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the matter, focusing on the role of the middleman and the involvement of the receiving couple. Further action will be based on the findings of the ongoing probe.