Odisha couple held for selling their children

A couple was detained in Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar for allegedly selling their three children, including a new-born baby, for money, police said Thursday.

Shyama Chandra Rao, 35, and his wife Pramila, 29, residents of a slum here are daily wage earners.

They were detained following a complaint by local child welfare committee, police official M.K. Swain, who is investigating the case, told IANS.

He said the couple live in abject poverty and are the biological parents of three children.

The couple allegedly sold the children to different people in the past couple of months, Swain said.

The matter came to light when they sold their third son, a 22-day-old baby, for Rs.6,000 to Ranjit Choudhuri and his wife Chandini who reside in the same slum July 9. The sale was made through a deed made on stamp paper.

Swain said police have located all three children.

The couple have been detained for questioning. Necessary legal action will be taken if the allegations were found to be true, he said.