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States » EastPosted at: May 5 2025 11:56PM


Newborn rescued from alleged child-trafficking in Tripura, investigation underway

Agartala, May 5 (UNI) The Tripura State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Tripura Police have launched separate investigation into a possible case of child-trafficking, after a five-day old girl was recovered on Monday from a family in the state’s Khowai district.
The couple allegedly bought the newborn on April 30 from her poverty-stricken parents in the bordering Karaticherra village of Simna in West Tripura. The baby girl is now safe and healthy in a government-run children’s home.
An investigation was on. If it is confirmed that the biological parents are unable to raise the child, then a legal adoption process will be considered, following all necessary guidelines and formalities, the police said.
Meanwhile, Jayanti Debbarma, Chairperson of the Tripura State Commission for Protection of Child Right said that even if the child was not ‘sold’ but ‘given away’, it was still illegal, as this form of informal handover was not permitted. As such, both the families have committed a crime and law will take its course.
Debbarma stated that the newborn’s grandmother alleged that her son and daughter-in-law sold the infant to a childless couple in Khowai for Rs 1.5 lakh. The parents, however, have denied the accusation.
The parents claimed they planned on aborting the foetus at the initial stage due to financial problems, but the childless couple assured them that they will take care of the expecting mother until she delivers the child, pay all medical expenses, and take full responsibility of the child.
As soon as Lakshmi Rani Sarkar delivered the child in Katlamara Primary Health Centre, Lakshmi and her husband Prasenjit Das handed over the child to the couple. When the matter was brought to the notice of Prasenjit’s mother, Basana Das, she protested it and engaged in a quarrel with them, by which the matter became public.
Lakshmi and Prasenjit said they donated the child and argued, “We already have two sons and one daughter, and we were not in a position to accept the third child. But we had to stop the abortion because of a childless couple. They supported us for the last nine months. So, we gave the child away because she will be getting a better life there.”
According to a report, Prasenjit – a daily labourer, came across the childless couple last year in a house where he had gone as a labourer. During an interaction with the couple, he told them of their decision to abort the child. But the couple convinced him of not going through with it, as they sought the child.
“We were already struggling to feed and care for our three children. We felt that the baby would get a better life in that family.” Lakshmi also admitted that they had prior contact with the Khowai-based family, indicating that the decision was not made on impulse, but rather had been considered earlier. UNI BB ANV SSP
Tags: #Newborn rescued from alleged child-trafficking in Tripura# investigation underway
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