Daily labourer who sold 25-day girl due to poverty in Assam rescued by child welfare committee

North Lakhimpur (Assam): A poverty-stricken labourer in Assam's Dhemaji district allegedly sold his 25-day-old infant for Rs 30,000, prompting intervention from the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which rescued the baby from the home of a doctor, officials said on Tuesday.

District CWC chairperson Rupali Deka Borgohain said a complaint has been filed at Silapathar police station against the infant’s parents, the purchaser, and intermediaries involved in the transaction.

According to the complaint, the girl was born on October 4 at Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh, but the parents, Budhiman Borah and Sabita Borah, fled shortly after her birth.

Borghain said the father is a daily wage labourer, and the family is struggling financially.

"Child Helpline, Dhemaji, then conducted an investigation and traced the parents. They were ordered to appear before the CWC but they disobeyed," Borgohain said in her complaint.

However, police claimed that the parents later retrieved the child from the Assam Medical College and Hospital and sold her to Pegu Sohoria and her husband for Rs 30,000.

The child was eventually rescued following a tip-off regarding her location at Dr. Chandrajit Doley's residence in Silapathar.

Investigation identified two persons, Bubul Borah and Dilip Saikia, as directly involved in the sale of the infant.

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the case, police said.