Baby purchased for 20,000 Indian Rupees in Bargarh district rescued and admitted to a hospital for medical care.
In a concerning development, a three-week-old baby girl was rescued in Odisha's Bolangir district following a joint operation by police and child welfare officials. The rescue operation was carried out by teams from Titilagarh and Paikmal police stations, and the District Child Protection Unit.
The baby was presented before the District Child Welfare Committee and admitted to a hospital for a medical check-up and further care. The infant is currently under the custody of state authorities.
The rescue has sparked conflicting statements regarding the sale, with the father claiming poverty as the reason for the sale, while the mother stated that the sale occurred without her consent. An investigation is underway to determine if this case is part of a larger child trafficking racket. Legal action under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act is being considered.
Infant trafficking in Odisha is a significant concern, reflected in a sharp rise in missing children reported over recent years, including infants and older children. According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Odisha saw an increase in missing children from 1,079 in 2020 to 4,564 in 2022.
India’s legal framework includes several laws targeting trafficking, exploitation, and illegal adoption, but enforcement challenges and demand-supply gaps still exist. Efforts to improve community vigilance, strengthen police action, and enhance child welfare mechanisms are ongoing to combat this issue effectively.
The baby's parents, from Bagder village, reportedly sold their newborn daughter due to extreme economic hardship. The infant was allegedly sold for Rs 20,000 to a man named Sanjay, but no details were given about the identity or location of the man mentioned.
Local authorities have promised closer surveillance of at-risk families to prevent similar incidents in the future. The rescue and sale of the baby have sparked discussions on student conduct at an Odisha college, although this is not directly related to the main topic of the article. The Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights is expected to intervene and review the case.
| Law/Act | Description & Application | |---------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act | Protects minors but is exploited by traffickers who use children for illegal activities, complicating enforcement. | | Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA) | Targets trafficking for exploitation, applied in rescue operations and prosecutions. | | Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act | Protects children against sexual exploitation, key in trafficking cases. | | Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) Regulations | Regulates legal adoptions to curb black market adoption and trafficking. | | National Action Plan for Children (NAPC) | Framework guiding child protection policies including anti-trafficking. |
Preventive and enforcement measures highlighted include active policing and rescue operations, community vigilance and system strengthening, judicial and administrative vigilance, child welfare committees (CWC), and data and reporting improvements. While underreporting persists, increased reporting has improved visibility of trafficking issues.
- The recent rescue of a three-week-old baby girl in Odisha's Bolangir district, which has sparked conflicting statements about the sale, underscores the urgent need for police and child welfare officials to intensify their efforts in war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice sectors, particularly in addressing child trafficking.
- As the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights intervenes in the infant's case, it is essential for political leaders and officials to prioritize general-news topics like child welfare and trafficking, revising and implementing laws such as the Juvenile Justice Act, Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, Central Adoption Resource Authority Regulations, and National Action Plan for Children, to ensure effective combat of child trafficking and provide a safer environment for minors across India.
