Bengal woman on the run after selling infant granddaughter

Kolkata, Oct 16 (IANS) A woman accused of selling her six-day-old granddaughter to a child-trafficking racket in West Bengal’s Nadia district, is currently on the run, the police said, adding that a probe is underway to nab her.

The incident came to light on Monday morning after the mother of the missing infant filed a complaint at a local police station in Santipur.

According to the police, not only is the accused grandmother, identified as Khaleda Bibi, absconding, but also another woman who is believed to have acted as an agent to sell the baby.

On October 9, the complainant gave birth and three days later, she went to her mother’s place with the newborn.

According to her complaint, the woman’s mother had been pressuring her sell the child.

On Sunday when she could not find her baby, the woman confronted her mother who admitted to have sold the infant for Rs 60,000 with the help of a local agent, the complaint said.

But before the police could be informed, the accused managed to escape.

The police said that since the woman’s husband works outside West Bengal, she thought it was wise to go to her mother’s place after giving birth.

The woman admitted that the financial condition of her mother was weak.

“I just want the police to track my daughter and bring her back to me. I also expect them to punish my mother who could commit such a heinous crime,” the woman added.

–IANS

src/ksk