Odisha: Father sells baby boy for Rs 1 lakh; child rescued, 2 detained
Balasore (Odisha) (PTI): Odisha Police have rescued a two-and-a-half-year-old boy who was allegedly sold by his father to a man for Rs 1 lakh, officials said.
Both the seller and the buyer have been detained.
The incident, which took place at Barisahi village in Nilgiri Notified Area Council area, came to light after a video purportedly showing the father bargaining with a prospective buyer went viral on social media.
A local activist subsequently lodged a complaint at Nilgiri police station.
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PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
"The baby was rescued from Chiminibhati area and handed over to the child welfare committee. Further investigation is underway," Nilgiri Sub-divisional Police Officer Pramod Kumar Mallick said, adding police have detained two persons in this connection.
Police identified the father as Rakesh Kumar Behera alias Kua, a mason, who allegedly received Rs 50,000 as the first instalment.
Behera claimed financial hardship prompted the move.
"We have four children and are facing difficulty in raising them. A known person arranged the buyer and I handed over the baby," he told reporters.
Police sources said Behera had married twice and the child allegedly sold was born to his second wife, who was living separately from him.
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'I go to Parliament to create impact, not ruckus': Raghav Chadha rubbishes AAP's allegations
New Delhi (PTI): "I go to Parliament to create impact, not ruckus," said Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Saturday as he rejected allegations levelled against him by the Aam Aadmi Party, calling them "false" and part of a "coordinated campaign".
In a video, Chadha dismissed claims that he did not join opposition walkouts, terming the charge a "blatant lie".
He challenged his detractors to cite even a single instance where he failed to participate and said parliamentary proceedings are recorded through CCTV cameras.
Refuting another allegation that he refused to sign a motion related to the Chief Election Commissioner, Chadha said no party leader had asked him, either formally or informally, to sign it. He added that several other MPs from his party had also not signed the motion.
The MP said his focus in Parliament has been on raising public issues such as GST, income tax, air pollution in Delhi, water concerns in Punjab, public healthcare, education, railway passenger issues, menstrual health, unemployment and inflation.
Chadha said that he goes to Parliament to "create impact not ruckus" as it runs on taxpayers' money and it is his responsibility to highlight their concerns. "Every lie will be exposed," he said.
