By IANS,
Hyderabad : A tribal woman in Andhra Pradesh sold her newborn baby for Rs.6,000 to pay bribe to a doctor.
The shocking incident occured in Khammam district and in the Lok Sabha constituency of India’s Women Development and Child Welfare Minister Renuka Chowdhary.
The doctor, who performed a caesarean on the woman, allegedly demanded a bribe to keep the baby boy in an incubator.
The police said Tagarapu Rajitha, 22, Monday sold her three-day old son to a childless couple for Rs.6,000 to save her son.
Anaesthetist Siva Sankaraiah allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs.2,000 to keep the baby in an incubator. The poor tribal woman put her baby for sale in the government hospital to pay the anaesthetist.
The incident occurred at a hospital, about 20 km from Kothagudem, the coal town.
The police have taken the woman into custody and were trying to trace the baby and the couple who bought him.
Rajitha, who separated from her auto-driver husband Mallesh after knowing that he was already married, was admitted to Kothagudem area hospital for delivery Feb 20.
“The doctor demanded Rs.2,000 towards medicines and other costs,” she told district police chief Mahesh Bhagat.
Authorities have ordered a probe into the incident. Revenue divisional officer (RDO) B. Rajaram, who would be conducting the inquiry, said a case would be booked against both the seller and the buyer. He said action would also be taken against the erring doctor.