Tripura tribal woman sells newborn for Rs 5,000 due to poverty, district administration rescues baby

The woman has four other children and her husband died by suicide five months ago due to poverty while she was pregnant.

2 min readUpdated: May 26, 2024 11:57 AM IST

The woman gave birth at the Sub-Divisional Hospital on Thursday. The next day, she sold the baby to a couple for Rs 5,000. (Representational image/File)

A day after a 39-year-old tribal woman reportedly sold her newborn in the Dhalai district in Tripura due to extreme poverty, the local administration on Saturday rescued the baby girl and handed her back to her mother.

The woman gave birth at the Sub-Divisional Hospital on Thursday. The next day, she sold the baby to a couple for Rs 5,000. As per reports, the woman has four other children, and her husband died by suicide five months ago due to poverty while she was pregnant.

Soon after the incident, Opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury of the CPI(M) sought intervention from Chief Secretary J K Sinha and Dhalai District Magistrate Saju Vaheed A.

He also held the BJP government and TIPRA Motha party, an alliance partner of the BJP and ruling in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), responsible for the situation, saying that the executive members of TTAADC and ministers in the state government have ignored the basic needs of the people, mainly the tribals.

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“I have written a letter to the chief secretary requesting him to arrange works under MGNREGS in the remote areas. I have also requested to solve the basic problems of the people living in hilly and remote places”, said Chaudhury.

Dhalai District Magistrate Vaheed on Saturday said both the mother and the newborn were sent to a shelter home in Gandacherra.

“The woman and her children have been in distress due to poverty, especially after her husband’s death. But she didn’t sell her documents and ration card to others”, said Vaheed adding that the woman has been provided some support from the administration.

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No reaction was available from the state BJP on the matter.