In a shocking incident, a poverty-stricken tribal youth in Jajpur district sold his two-day-old infant to meet the funeral expenses of his wife, who died after delivering the child.

Sources said Bipin Gagarai, a daily wage labourer of Sahupur village under Salijanga gram panchayat, sold his baby to a labourer from Berhampur for Rs 1,200.

On Sunday night, Gagarai’s wife Gurubari gave birth to a baby boy in their house. Without any money, Gagarai was unable to get his wife, who was bleeding profusely after the delivery, admitted to hospital.

Deprived of treatment, Gurubari died on Monday. But Bipin reportedly did not even have the money to perform her last rites.

“I was feeling helpless and that is when I got in touch with one of my friends at Marakat Nagar and said I would sell the baby. He arranged a buyer, another daily wage earner of Berhampur and I sold my son for Rs 1,200,” said Gagarai.

“When it is already difficult on my part to feed two children, how can I maintain the third?” asked Gagarai.

Meanwhile, Jajpur Collector S K Singh has asked the District Welfare Officer (DWO) to look into the matter. “The Collector asked me to meet Gagarai. I am also trying to identify the person who purchased the child,” DWO Sivaji Bhuiyan said.