Khowai district administration officials and police on Saturday rescued a one-and-half-month old female infant. The child, found with a couple in Karbook Gomati district, had allegedly been sold for money.
“The baby is now with her biological parents. We will provide all necessary assistance to the family and will ensure protection of the child,” Khowai District Magistrate and Collector Chandni Chandran told mediapersons.
The child was recovered a day after Chief Minister Manik Saha directed the Khowai DM to initiate a probe into the matter.
The father of the child reportedly confessed to have sold the baby for ₹30,000 due to penury. The family, which hails from an indigenous community, lives in the Bongshipara locality of Haludia village in Teliamura, one of two subdivisions in Khowai district.
A Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) delegation visited the remote tribal hamlet and claimed that most of the villagers were suffering from poverty and health-related issues. The area falls under the jurisdiction of the Tribal Autonomous District Council led by the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA), the State’s main Opposition party.