The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports during its camp sitting at Bhubaneswar that a homeless Scheduled Tribe woman, deserted by her husband, was forced to sell her newly born male child to one of her neighbours, for a sum of Rs. 2000 in the Kendrapara district of Odisha. Reportedly, the woman took this step due to poverty as she is deprived of benefits of the government run schemes. She is already mother of two children.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news reports, as brought to its notice by a human rights activist, Akhand Pratap are indeed painful and indicative of violation of right to livelihood and dignity of the poor woman, who is forced by the circumstances to sell her child. The Commission has issued a notice to the District Magistrate, Kendrapara to submit a report within four weeks along with the steps taken or proposed to be taken for relief and rehabilitation of the victim family.
National Human Rights Commission