Infant girl ‘sold for Rs 20,000’ in Odisha rescued in late-night operation; OTV expose triggers swift response

A newborn baby girl, allegedly sold for Rs 20,000 due to poverty in Bolangir district, was rescued by authorities late last night, following an investigative report aired by OTV.

Reports stated that the rescue operation was carried out by a joint team of Titilagarh and Paikmal police, alongside the District Child Protection Unit, after the child was traced to a residence in Paikmal’s Bastanpada in Bargarh district.

According to sources, the baby was recovered from the home of one Sanjay, who had reportedly bought the child from her biological parents of the child from Bagder village under Bhalegaon panchayat in Titlagarh block.

The couple was said to be under severe financial distress and allegedly sold their three-week-old daughter to the Paikmal family.

Child Now Under State Custody; Medical Care Arranged

After the rescue, the baby was produced before the District Child Welfare Committee and subsequently admitted to a hospital for medical examination and care.

Police officials confirmed that both the buyers and the biological parents are under questioning as part of an ongoing probe into suspected child trafficking.

An exclusive video accessed by OTV shows the emotionally charged moment when the mother, sobbing uncontrollably, hands over her newborn to the buyers, a scene that has since gone viral, sparking widespread public outrage and providing police with vital clues for the search operation.

Mother’s Statement Counters Husband’s Claim

While the father claimed they were compelled by extreme poverty, the mother offered a conflicting version.

“I gave birth to a girl child at the Pipalpadar hospital. My husband later sold her without asking me. There was no such situation that forced this. He acted on his own,” said the infant’s mother to OTV.

Following the broadcast and the rescue, the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights is expected to review the matter, even as local officials have assured further investigation and long-term monitoring of vulnerable households.

The police have neither ruled out legal action under the Juvenile Justice Act nor denied the possibility of a wider trafficking network. Meanwhile, the rescued child remains under the care of state authorities until her future is legally decided.