Bargarh/Rourkela: The Sundargarh administration has rescued a baby boy, who went missing about eight months ago hours after his birth and was allegedly sold through a network of traffickers.
The child was recovered from a childless couple in Bargarh district and is now under the care of a specialised adoption agency run by the Women and Child Development department.
According to sources, a woman from Koida tehsil in Sundargarh district gave birth to the boy on August 31, 2025, at Rourkela Government Hospital. She, however, disappeared along with the child, prompting hospital staff to alert the authorities. A police case was registered, and an investigation was launched into the suspected child trafficking amid allegations that the woman had sold her newborn for Rs 50,000.
District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) of Sundargarh, Sribanta Jena, said the child’s location was traced following persistent efforts by the police and Sundargarh administration over the last several months. The issue was then taken up with the DCPO and Child Welfare Committee of Bargarh to secure the child’s rescue. Procedures are now underway to bring the infant back to Sundargarh, he said.
Jena further stated that the probe revealed that the infant was passed on to intermediaries who then sold him to a childless couple in Bargarh for Rs 1.90 lakh. “Three brokers lured the mother to sell her newborn. They coordinated with the Bargarh couple who was desperately seeking a child. It is yet to be ascertained how much money the baby’s mother received as the brokers had kept the bulk of the amount,” he told the media.
The woman was a widow, having lost her husband in 2022, and her family members had turned hostile towards her after she became pregnant allegedly through an illicit relationship. On the other hand, the Bargarh couple had been desperately seeking a child after 16 years of marriage and ignored the legal route of adoption. The couple reportedly sold their jewellery and other valuables to pay the amount to the brokers.
“The middlemen involved have been identified and strict action would be taken against them. Efforts are also underway to trace the baby’s biological mother,” Jena was quoted as saying.
