Jajpur: In a shocking case, a woman reportedly sold her seven year-old son for Rs 18,000 in Odisha's Jajpur district. The incident, which took place in Totasahi under Badasuar panchayat within Jajpur town police limits, came to the fore after the grief-stricken father of the minor boy and his family members reached out to the district administration for help. 

As per reports, Prasant Parida and his wife Puja Parida were going through a rough patch in their marriage. When their fights became irreconcilable, Puja left for her parents' home along with their three year old son Sairam. Four years later, she returned to Prasant albeit Sairam. When Prasant questioned her about not getting their son along, to his dismay, Puja revealed that she had sold Sairam for a sum of Rs 18,000. 

"My daughter in-law had left the house four years back following an ugly fight where she had attacked me and even threatened to harm my son. She took a sum of Rs 17,000 while leaving and destroyed her phone to severe any kind of communication. Now after returning, she claims to have sold my grandson," Prasant's mother told mediapersons. 

Prasant too affirmed the allegations and shared that Puja was living seprately for four years. "My brother in-law saw her at an acquaintance's house and brought her back. When I questioned her about our son, she first stated that she had sold off our son for Rs 20,000. A while later, she retracted and said she traded our son for Rs 18,000. I am still in shock," he added.

Distressed and helpless, Prasant, who used to wash dishes at a hotel to eke out a living and raise his son in the best possible manner with his meagre earnings, reached out to the district Collector for asssistance on Wednesday. He, along with his mother, also alleged that after confessing to the inhumane act, his wife has been absconding. 

Official sources said Collector P. Anvesha Reddy has directed the ADM to inquire about the incident. The District Child Protection Unit has been informed to investigate into the matter and submit a report at the earliest on the child's whereabout and probe the veracity of the allegations, they said.