Desperate mum sells baby to meat seller

Unable to take care of her child due to extreme poverty, a mother in West Bengal's Nadia district sold her baby girl to a meat seller for Rs2,000 (#5312).

Rinku Das, recently widowed and a mother of two, said she was compelled to sell her baby 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 Rs2,000," Das said.

She 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 Rs2,000. I do not have a child and I am very happy to get her," Saha said.

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

Difficult but necessary

"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.