Sold for father's treatment, newborn back to mother

The newborn, who had reportedly been ''sold'' by her mother for Rs. 42 thousand to pay for the treatment of her ailing husband in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district, about 250 km from here,was back to her mother's lap on Tuesday as help poured for the poor family from different quarters.

The district administration on Tuesday intervened in the matter and got the husband of the woman admitted to the hospital. It also promised to bear his medical treatment's expenses.

Sources said that the couple would also be provided ration cards and financial assistance from the chief minister's discretionary fund.

District officials in Bareilly said that the revenue clerk of the village concerned had been asked to explain as to why necessary help was not extended to the family.

The officials sought to wriggle out of the embarrassment by claiming that the couple had ''willingly'' given the newborn in adoption to another man and that legal formalities had also been completed for the purpose.

They, however, failed to explain the return of the newborn to his biological parents if legal formalities for adoption had already been completed.

The mother, identified as Sanju Devi, a resident of Dhakia Khoh village in the district, had taken loan from a local moneylender to pay the expenses incurred on the treatment of her husband Harswaroop Maurya.

Sanju Devi, apparently to repay the loan taken for hubby's treatment, sold the her 15-day old son to a couple from the neighboring village.