Owning an iPhone can be a matter of much importance for many but what lengths would you go to get what you want? In a shocking incident, a couple from West Bengal sold their eight-month-old baby to buy an iPhone 14. What is even more appalling is that they bought the iPhone to shoot reels of their travel across the state.
According to a report in The Times of India, the incident took place in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. It is believed that the mother has been apprehended by the police. However, authorities have not yet traced the father, identified as Jaydev Ghosh, who is absconding. An active search is ongoing to apprehend the man.
The matter came out in the open when the baby had been missing for days and the parents showed no sign of worry, which piqued the neighbours’ suspicion. The Ghosh family’s possession of an iPhone 14 also added to the neighbours' suspicion as the family was living off a meagre income and was battling financial difficulties in the past.
Following a confrontation, the woman finally admitted to having sold the baby for money to purchase the iPhone. It was also revealed that the father had earlier attempted to sell their seven-year-old daughter. The police have filed a case against the couple and against the woman who bought the baby on charges of human trafficking.
A detailed probe into the matter is under way.
This is not the first time that such cases have been reported in the country. It was just this month that a similar case was reported from Odisha. A poverty-stricken tribal woman, who was disappointed over the birth of a second girl child, allegedly sold her eight-month-old daughter to a couple for a mere sum of Rs 800. The father, who was unaware of this matter and learned about it from the neighbours, filed a police complaint based on which an investigation was launched into the matter.