Child Traced After Alleged Sale By Parents In Odisha’s Cuttack

By OB Bureau On Oct 2, 2020

Cuttack: A child, allegedly sold by his parents, was rescued by District Child Protection Unit officials with the help of police in Derabis block of the district.

According to reports, District Child Protection Unit authorities were informed that a poverty-stricken parents of Asureswar panchayat in Salipur had sold their child to a distant relative in Sridharpur of Derabis block. The officials with the help of local police traced the baby from the house of the relative.

But the child’s father, Ajay Kumar Singh refuted the charges of child-sale. He said they had come to the house of their relative Ragunath Mallick for some rituals.

Mallick also turned down the allegation stating that he and Singh had reached an understanding two years back that if the latter will have another son, he will gift it to him. Mallick has two daughters while Ajay has three sons. But neither Singh nor Mallick could produce any document in this regard.

On the other hand, Child Line Coordinator Narayan Shukla said it’s a clear case of baby selling. He said they acted on the order of CWC (Child Welfare Committee) and CDPO to trace the baby after Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) informed them.

Stating that the parents of the child and the buyer were not cooperating, Shukla said they will produce the case before CWC which will take a decision in this regard.

Meanwhile, the CDPO of Nischintakoili stated that parents were refuting the charge of selling the baby but the investigation was on.