Tripura: Sold by poor parents, newly born girl rescued

Agartala, Nov 25 (PTI) Days after a newly born girl of a remote tribal habitation in Tripura’s Khowai district was sold by her impoverished parents to a couple, the administration rescued the baby from a house in Gomati district’s Karbook area, an official said on Saturday.

Ushani Debbarma, the wife of Khokan Debbarma, a resident of Bangshibari in Khowai district gave birth to a girl at their home on Wednesday. The baby was sold to the childless couple the next day.

'The mother, who is suffering from post-delivery complications, was admitted to Teliamura hospital while the baby is in the custody of the government,' Khowai District Magistrate Chandi Chandran said.

No action has yet been taken against the two couples.

After the news about the child sale spread, the government sent a team accompanied by the police to the couple and the baby was rescued.

'I can’t feed my family. Our hut is also broken. That’s why I handed over the child for Rs 30,000,” Khokan told the media at Teliamura Hospital on Saturday.

Chandran said that she paid a visit to the mother as well as their residence to know the ground reality.

The Debbarmas who have a six-year-old girl decided to hand over their baby to the couple of Karbook before the delivery, as the latter had no child.

'Now it all depends on the baby’s biological parents. If they want to keep the baby they can do so. They can also hand over the child through a state adoption agency,' the district magistrate said.

The family appears to be shifting cultivators and is extremely poor, she said adding that the district administration has provided financial assistance to them. PTI PS NN