With no work of money amid India’s lockdown, a migrant worker couple in Hyderabad tried to sell their two-month-old baby boy for Rs 22,000 (AUD$443).
People took to Twitter to share the “horrific” news, discussing how the lockdown is pushing people to take drastic steps.
It is reported that authorities arrested the couple Madan Kumar Singh, 32 and Saritha, 30, who migrated from Uttar Pradesh to Hyderabad, for work.
The construction labourers who lost their jobs during the lockdown asked a woman named Seshu to help broker the deal. She was also taken into custody.
The couple have two children and tried to sell the younger one.
The first child is seven years old.
Sharing the news report, tweep @Agrawal_Raj: “Now this. A new low being reached every day. While this too shall pass, scars and sorrow will remain forever. #migrants”
According to PV Padmaja Reddy, Deputy Commissioner of Police of Balanagar, the child was “rescued and shifted to Sishu Vihar being run by the Women and Child Welfare Department,” reported hindustantimes.com.
The report also stated that as per enquiries, the couple was “facing acute poverty conditions”.
According to police the couple had thought they won’t be able to raise the second child due to their financial condition.
However, the child’s mother told the police that her husband was an alcoholic, and was demanding money from her to buy liquor.
The broker Seshu, allegedly helped them find a childless couple, who agreed to buy the child for Rs22,000 (AUD$443). The police said they received a tipoff, and managed to arrest Seshu as she was taking the child for a medical examination.
Highlighting the miserable conditions faced by India’s migrant workers and other poor people in the country, @TheAmitLakhani tweeted: “Misery and sufferings all around. Just imagine, parents, selling off their child because of poverty.”
However, @KhalidHMukadam said the reason could be, to ensure their baby didn’t starve: “[maybe] they were ensuring their child gets proper food and care…”
Tweep @All4Dhananjay pointed out that the politicians, and lawmakers, were continuing to ignore the sufferings of the poor citizens. “Where has humanity died? Why don't local administration… ministers come out from there air-conditioned rooms, and assist the needy?”, he asked.
This article originally appeared on Over60.