Shortly after Padma delivered a girl on August 28 at Narsapur Government Hospital, her husband Shankar fixed a deal to sell the newborn for a sum of ₹40,000. The couple, who reside in Tukaram tanda of Narsapur mandal, already have two daughters and a son. They were reportedly habitual drinkers and used to quarrel often. Even three days before her delivery, Padma and Shankar had a heated exchange, forcing the police to intervene. Their differences notwithstanding, the couple were united in one decision — that a third girl child would be a ‘burden’ for them.
As per the deal, which was facilitated by a woman running a hostel nearby, the baby was handed over to some persons hailing from Visakhapatnam, at Medalamma temple, about 10 km from the Narsapur revenue divisional headquarters. That very day, the girl was taken to Visakhapatnam.
The incident was reported by the local media and officials started investigation. They lodged a complaint with the police based on the information received. Police, for their part, registered cases against those involved in the sale of the newborn, including her parents.
