Poverty forces Bengal mother to sell child for Rs.2000

IANS

Kolkata, 22 May 2012: Unable to take care of her seven-month-old child due to extreme poverty, a mother in West Bengal’s Nadia district sold her infant to a meat seller for Rs.2000.

 

Rinku Das, a recently widowed mother of two from Krishnanagar in Nadia district which is some 105 km from Kolkata, said she was compelled to sell her second child - a girl - as she found it difficult to take care of her.

 

"I do not have a livelihood. Whatever I had, is already sold. It had become very difficult for me to feed myself and the children. So, I sold my younger child for Rs. 2000," said Das.

 

Das sold the child to Madhav Saha, her neighbour and a meat seller. Saha, who is childless, was happy to accept the child.

 

"Yes, I bought the baby for Rs.2000. I do not have a child and I am very happy to get her," Das said.

 

Though police have not arrested them, they called both Das and Saha and asked the mother to take back the child.

 

"It is illegal to sell the baby. We know it is difficult for the mother to take care of the child. But for the welfare of the baby, it is necessary that she stays with her mother," said an officer of Krishnanagar police station.

 

"Though Das was willing to take back her child, Saha has been reluctant and coaxing us to allow him to keep the baby," the officer added.