Representative image of a hospital ward.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Kushinagar: A man was allegedly compelled to "sell" his three-year-old son to secure his wife and newborn child's "release" from a private hospital after he was unable to pay its fee, officials said.
The incident sparked outrage and prompted swift action from authorities after they were informed, with police arresting five people on Saturday including a couple who took the child.
Harish Patel, a resident of Barwa Patti, had sought medical care at the hospital for his wife's delivery, police said. According to locals, it was the sixth child of Patel, who is a daily wager.
However, when he was unable to immediately pay the hospital fee, the mother and the newborn were not allowed to leave by the hospital staff. In his desperation, the father agreed to sell his three-year-old son under a fraudulent adoption deed for a few thousand rupees on Friday, the police said.
Upon learning of the incident, police launched an investigation and arrested five individuals involved in the crime including the alleged middleman Amresh Yadav, the "adoptive parents" Bhola Yadav and his wife Kalawati, a fake doctor Tara Kushwaha, and a helper at the hospital Suganti, Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Mishra said.
A police constable, who allegedly failed to take action in the case, has also been taken off active duty and sent to police lines by the SP.
"The child was safely rescued and returned to his parents," the officer added.