Kolkata: In a shocking incident, poverty and hunger forced a father to sell his four-day-old son for a sum of Rs 10,000 to another couple in East Burdwan's Katwa.
The incident sent ripples across the state administration as a team of officials immediately rushed to his house at Narayanpur in Katwa's Majhipara village to inquire into the matter.
The father, who already has five children apart from the new born child, has been identified as Subu Murmu. He told the local administration that he was forced to sell his newborn for Rs 10,000 due to hunger and poverty.
“I don’t have ration to feed my family members. I was left with no other option but to sell my new born son to a couple in nearby Ausgram,” Murmu said.
His wife Menoka broke into tears and requested the local administrative officials for help. “There is no salt and rice in home. There is nothing to eat. There was no other option before us. The earning is not sufficient to feed all the six members of the family.”
Speaking to the News18, SDO, Katwa, Soumen Pal, said, “Yesterday, we visited his house along with the Block Development Officer (BDO) and inquired about the matter. He told us that he sold his son due to hunger and poverty. We asked him to bring the child along with the couple whom he sold. The local police was also intimated about the matter because he felt that his claim should be investigated properly.”
He said, “We found that he is having ration card but despite that we are surprised like why he has sold his son. He is availing the facilities of the state government but despite that he sold his son. We are confused. We are probing the matter and it seems that there is more into the case. We have provided ration to them. We are also in touch with the officials of Child Welfare Committee and kept them in the loop. We have given them two days time to bring the child to our office for inquiry.”
There are allegations from the local tribal people that they are not getting adequate and prescribed ration meant for them on time.
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