Bhadrak: In a shocking incident, a man in Bhadrak district has been accused of selling his three-day-old daughter allegedly because she was his second girl child. The incident came to light from Bada Malik Sahi village under Kharida Binayakpur Gram Panchayat in the Basudevpur police station limits.
According to reports, Banita Das, wife of Sanjay Malik, gave birth to a baby girl at the Basudevpur Community Health Centre on September 30 at 4:01 PM. Following the birth, Sanjay reportedly argued with nurses on the hospital premises. After the family’s discharge, villagers alleged that the father sold the newborn.
The matter surfaced on Saturday morning when Anganwadi worker Suprabha Das visited the family home for a routine check-up. On finding the baby missing, she questioned the parents. When asked to show the child on a video call, Sanjay failed to do so. Further inquiries with neighbours led her to suspect that the newborn had been sold.
Confronted about the allegations, Sanjay admitted that, due to financial hardship and already having a one and half-year-old daughter, he handed over the newborn to a man from Tihidi Dolsahi who is childless. He claimed that the person had promised to transfer two gunthas of land in the child’s name, adding that the handover was made with “police and court documents.”
Meanwhile, the Basudevpur police said they have not yet received official information about the incident. The local Anganwadi worker has filed a complaint with the Child Helpline, and further inquiry is awaited.