Soro: Tension prevailed after a minor girl attempted to die by suicide following alleged harassment by her family for opposing her sibling's trafficking in Soro in Odisha's Balasore district. The girl was rushed to the hospital in a critical state after she consumed poison early on Tuesday morning. She is currently stable and is undergoing treatment. 

As per reports, the girl's parents - Prafulla Dhada and Gayatri Dhada - already had four daughters and one son. When Gayatri gave birth to another baby boy on December 3, the couple, strained by poverty, decided to do away with the child. They handed over the newborn to another couple from Sabaranga village in Bhadrak district. When the infant’s elder sister got to know about the incident and opposed the act, she was allegedly subjected to torture by her parents.

Newborn rescued by CWC after matter comes to light

The minor girl's strong objection to the trafficking brought the matter into light after which members of the Child Helpline traced the infant in Bhadrak and rescued him. The baby was then handed over to the Balasore District Child Welfare Committee.

Following this intervention, the minor girl was allegedly abused and mentally tortured by her parents. Unable to bear the harassment, she attempted suicide by consuming poison.

The minor girl has appealed for the return of her baby brother to the family.

Also read: Odisha man poisons 2 minor sons, attempts suicide over domestic discord