Newborn baby girl sold by tribal parents rescued in Nalgonda

A tribal couple from Nalgonda allegedly sold their 10-day-old daughter to a childless couple in Andhra Pradesh due to financial hardship and a desire for a male heir. The incident came to light after a viral video showed the couple’s elder daughters pleading with them not to give away their sister.

Nalgonda: A 10-day-old baby girl, allegedly sold by a tribal family in the town to a childless couple in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, was rescued and handed over to the Sakhi Centre run by the Department of Women and Child Development on Tuesday.

According to the police, who have registered a case and are investigating, the tribal couple had claimed to sell the baby due to financial strain and their longing for a male heir. The shocking revelation came to light through a video showing the couple’s two elder daughters sobbing uncontrollably, begging their parents not to “give away their sister”.

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The couple, Korra Babu and Parvati, hail from Yellapur Tanda in Tirumala Giri mandal, a remote area near the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir. The family ekes out a living as daily wage labourers in Nalgonda town. Parvathi had her first child, a boy in 2016, but he passed away the same day.

Undeterred in their hope for a son to carry on the family lineage, they kept trying with two pregnancies resulting in daughters. With two girls already at home and mounting economic pressures, the couple pinned their hopes on a fourth pregnancy.

Ten days ago, at Nalgonda Government Hospital, Parvati gave birth to yet another girl. The husband and wife then decided to put the newborn baby up for sale. Through local middlemen, they reportedly handed over the infant to a childless couple in Bapatla of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh for Rs.3 lakh just two days ago.

With the video of the two other daughters pleading with their parents going viral, officials stepped in. Nalgonda police registered a case, including under sections of the Prohibition of Child Trafficking Act.

A team traced the infant’s whereabouts in Bapatla and returned to Nalgonda with the infant. The District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) also stepped in, offering to place the elder daughters as well in a safe shelter if needed.