Newborn sold for Rs 2.5 lakh in Odisha’s Bolangir; father among 2 held

Bhubaneswar: A couple in Titlagarh area of Odisha’s Bolangir district has allegedly sold their newborn son to a person from Kalahandi district for Rs 2.5 lakh.

The couple—Santosh Patel and Pushpa Patel— of Jhankarpara reportedly sold their five-day-old son to a person, identified as Raja, from Kalahandi district due to their poverty. The couple already has three children, sources said.

On being informed, Titlagarh police registered a case in this regard and arrested Santosh and Ramzan Sheikh, the alleged middleman in the baby sale.

However, the police are yet to rescue the newborn baby, sources added.

“The couple was in search of a suitable person, who could adopt their baby. My husband helped them in this regard. But, the police have arrested my husband and tortured him in custody,” said Ramzan’s wife Sarina Begum.

Ramzan’s lawyer Sumantra Behera, meanwhile, alleged that Sarina Begum was detained by Titlagarh police for several hours even though she has nothing to do with the case.