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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Hailstorm brings relief to Bengaluru from scorching summer
Bengaluru (PTI): Bringing much relief to the people battered by the scorching summer, heavy rains coupled with hailstorm lashed the city on Wednesday.
The thunderous downpour with stormy wind cooled the city, where the temperature had soared to 37 degree.
With the rains, the city, from being parched, witnessed waterlogging in just two hours.
There was waist-deep water in many areas in the city such as Richmond Town and Shanthinagar resembling a river.
The unexpected rain did not spare Vidhana Soudha, the seat of power, as water gushed inside the government offices from the lobby. The office of the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka was also flooded.
Since the downpour occurred in the evening, many office goers struggled to return home.
Uprooting of trees was reported in many parts of the city, including Malleswaram, Shanthinagar and Seshadripuram.
