Patna, July 8 : A poor Hindu woman in Bihar sold her infant son to raise money to perform the 'shradh ceremony' (memorial service) of her husband. But she was arrested before she could hand over the child to a childless couple, a police official said Tuesday.
Parvati Devi (name changed)-- in her early 20s and a resident of Patwa Toli in Gaya town, about 100 km from here -- said she was forced to sell her 45-day-old son due to abject poverty.
Chandrasekhar Prasad Sinha, Civil Lines police station officer-in-charge, told IANS on phone Tuesday that she was arrested along with two people, including Nurmani Surdas, her neighbour, who paid her Rs.10,000 to purchase her son.
“The police arrested them when they arrived in the Gaya district court premises Monday to prepare legal documents to hand over the child to Surdas,” said Sinha.
Her husband Rajkumar Sao, who was from a backward caste, was killed when he fell from a train a few days ago. After his death, she decided to perform his 'shradh ceremony' by selling her child.
She told the police that Surdas had given her Rs.10,000 for her child.
