Father sells 11-day-old child; arrested

A migrant labourer has been arrested for allegedly selling his new-born baby to a local fisherman for Rs 7,000.

Thirty three-year-old Ashok Saha from West Bengal was arrested in nearby Tiruvallore district yesterday for selling his 11-day-old son to Anbu, a fisherman in Pazhaverkadu village.
    
Anbu reportedly bought the baby as he has no children. He has been arrested on the charges of human trafficking, police said, adding that the baby was handed over to the mother.

MC Sarangan, Superintendent of Police, Tiruvallur, said that Saha had sold the child to meet his lavish expenses.

"He had migrated to Chennai last year with his family and is a daily wage earner at a company here," he said.
    
The incident came to light after Saha's wife Chandika filed a police complaint on Wednesday, claiming her husband had gone missing with his three children, the two others being a boy and a girl, after leaving her alone at a bus station.
   
After 'selling' his child, Saha bought himself and the other two children some clothes, repaid a debt and spent the rest of the money on drinking.