Odisha: Couple Sells 4-Year-Old Girl for Rs 40,000, Police Rescue the Child

�Bhubaneswar: In a shocking incident, a four-year-old girl was allegedly sold for Rs 40,000 by her parents in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. The couple, daily wage earners originally from Bihar, cited severe financial distress as the reason for their actions.

The child was sold to another couple in Pipili with the help of two intermediaries from the Badagada locality. Acting swiftly on a tip-off, the Badagada police rescued the girl and launched an investigation into the case.

Inspector-in-Charge of Badagada police station, Trupti Ranjan Nayak, revealed that they were alerted by the owner of an apartment where the couple worked. Following the lead, officers traced the child and identified the intermediaries who facilitated the transaction.

The incident in Bhubaneswar is part of a concerning pattern of child sales reported across Odisha, often driven by extreme poverty.

Last week, a newborn was rescued after allegedly being sold by her parents in Bolangir district due to financial hardship.

Earlier this month, a newborn girl was sold for Rs 20,000 in Rayagada district. The infant was later found in neighboring Andhra Pradesh and placed in a Special Adoption Agency after intervention by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).

On November 20, a couple from Khairapali in Sohela block, Bargarh district, reportedly sold their 17-day-old newborn boy to a childless couple. The accused parents, who already have five children, denied the allegations despite evidence suggesting otherwise.

“These incidents underscore the vulnerability of impoverished families in Odisha, who often resort to desperate measures to survive. Authorities are intensifying efforts to address the root causes of these tragic cases, including poverty alleviation and better support for families in crisis,” said a child rights activist who did not want to be quoted.

The police and state agencies are collaborating to ensure that children in such situations are protected and rehabilitated. In the Bhubaneswar case, the rescued girl is now under the care of the authorities, and efforts are underway to bring all involved parties to justice.