Poverty-stricken mother sells child for Rs 200 in Tripura

Gandachara: In a shocking incident, a tribal in Tripura has been reported to sell her child for mere 200 rupees.

The woman, who belongs to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) section, sold the kid on April 13 last month to an auto driver namely Danshai (Babla), a resident of Laxmipur ADC village of the state.

Khanajoy Reang, the father of the child has confessed the incident.

"I asserted on not selling the child but his mother sold my child for Rs 200. The child is at present in Machkumbhi village. The incident took place around 15 to 20 days back," Reang said.

"When the issue was raised in front of the head of the village and it was decided that we would get our child back and accordingly we went to meet the person whom we sold our kid but we got a reply that they would return the child to its mother only."

Meanwhile, the Social Welfare and Social Education Department said that it is making all efforts to bring back the child to its parents.

Local Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) Abid Hossain said that he is aware of the incident and is making all efforts to return the child to the biological mother through Child Line.

This is said to be the second incident of the same kind to be reported in less than 15 days.

The last incident was reported by in Ultacharra ADC village in remote Gandacherra sub-division of Dhalai District where a tribal woman sold her 11 day old son for Rs. 5000 to bear the cost of the treatment of her ailing husband at Rangia Tilla of Haldia ADC village under Teliamura Police Station in West Tripura.

During the last two years at least four incidents of child selling by poor tribal families have been reported from Tripura.