UP couple sells newborn baby for Rs 1 lakh to settle hospital bill

Guwahati: In a shocking incident, a Dalit couple from Agra in Uttar Pradesh reportedly sold their newborn baby to a hospital as they did not have the means to pay the bill. The hospital, however, said that the baby had been handed over for adoption.

On August 24, the newborn's mother Babita underwent a C-section at the hospital, a procedure that costs Rs. 30,000. Additionally, the couple had to purchase medicines worth Rs. 5,000. At 6:45, Babita gave birth to a baby boy, but her problems were far from over as the woman's husband, Shiv Charan, a rickshaw puller, did not have the means to pay the bill..

In an attempt to settle the bill with the hospital, the couple reportedly sold off the newborn baby boy to the hospital for a sum of Rs. 1 lakh.

The couple, who can't read or write, claimed that they gave thumb impressions on all documents on the instruction of the hospital. The hospital paid Rs 1 lakh to the couple and they parted without any discharge papers.

Agra District magistrate Prabhu Narain Singh, terming the incident a serious matter and said that proper investigation will be conducted against the persons involved.

The hospital, however, claims that the couple gave the baby up for adoption. Seema Gupta, manager of JP Hospital said that the couple had given the baby up of their own accord. She further disclosed that she even has a copy of the written agreement signed by the parents.

It needs mention here that Shiv and Babita are parents to 5 children who live at a rented home in the Shambhu Nagar area. Although Shiv's eldest son used to work as a labourer at a shoe factory, he was left unemployed after the factory closed down amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown. The family is not covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme either, the patriarch says.

Also Watch: Baby Elephant Dies While Crossing River, Herd Stands Guard