Tripura tribal woman sells newborn due to extreme poverty, reunited after Oppn leader's intervention

Agartala: A tribal woman from Tripura's Dhalai district, grappling with dire poverty following her husband's death five months ago, sold her newborn for Rs 5,000, an official said on Saturday.

The four-day-old girl was fortunately rescued from a couple in Hezamara, West Tripura district, and reunited with her mother, following opposition leader Jitendra Choudhury's intervention, sources said.

Mormati Tripura (39) of Taraban Colony in Gandacherra subdivision, gave birth to a daughter at home on Wednesday. The next day she sold the child to a couple in Hezamara for Rs 5,000, citing extreme poverty after her husband's demise five months ago, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Arindam Das said.

"Already burdened with two sons and a daughter, she couldn't afford another child in the face of severe financial strain. This desperation likely led to the decision to sell the child. Upon receiving the alert, we swiftly retrieved the infant and reunited her with her mother the following day," Das added.

Assuring ongoing support to the family, Das said necessary aid had been extended to the mother and child at their residence.

In response to the distressing revelation, opposition leader Jitendra Choudhury had shared a video where the woman confessed to selling her newborn due to extreme poverty, prompting chief secretary J K Singh to take immediate action on Friday.

Choudhury alleged that Mormati's husband Purnajoy, who sustained the family by selling firewood, passed away due to lack of proper medical care amidst dire financial circumstances. Additionally, the family lacked a Below Poverty Line (BPL) ration card, he added.

Choudhury criticised both the BJP government and the Tipra Motha-led Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) for failing to provide assistance to distressed people. 'Without government intervention, more such tragedies are inevitable in tribal areas,' he warned.