UP Man Forced To Sell His 3 Year Old Son To Pay Hospital Fee; 5 Arrested (screengrab-X/SachinGuptaUP)
A man from Uttar Pradesh was allegedly forced to sell his three-year-old son to secure the “release” of his wife and newborn child from a private hospital in Kushinagar district after he failed to pay the fee.
The man, Harish Patel, a resident of Barwa Patti, had sought medical care at the hospital for his wife’s delivery. It was the sixth child of Patel, as per locals. The daily wage worker could not pay the hospital fee of Rs 4,000. The hospital staff reportedly refused to let the mother and the newborn leave the hospital.
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Helpless, he agreed to “sell” his three-year-old son under a fraudulent adoption deed for Rs 20,000 on September 7.
A video of Patel recounting his distress went viral on X, with many expressing their outrage over the incident.
हैवान हॉस्पिटल, लाचार पिता
यूपी के जिला कुशीनगर में हरीश पटेल की प्रेगनेंट बीवी ने प्राइवेट हॉस्पिटल में बच्चे को जन्म दिया। हरीश 4 हजार रुपए नहीं चुका पाए। हॉस्पिटल ने पत्नी–बच्चे को बंधक बना लिया। हरीश ने अपना दूसरा बच्चा 20 हजार में बेचकर पत्नी–बच्चे को छुड़ाया।
अब इस मामले… pic.twitter.com/ypLF0oPNqG
— Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP) September 7, 2024
Describing the incident as “heart-wrenching,” Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi stated that the police also took a bribe of Rs 5,000 from Patel. Accusing the government machinery of being a “partner” in the crime, Gandhi stated, “Harish’s family already has loans from several microfinance companies, which they are unable to repay. Many poor families like Harish’s have been trapped in the clutches of these companies and are being charged 30 to 40 percent interest.”
Questioning the state government led by the BJP and the administration, she asked, “Where are the government’s plans? Where is the health department? For whom is the government running? Will humans now have to buy and sell humans to stay alive in our country?”
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Following a preliminary investigation, the Kushinagar police arrested five people, including the alleged middleman Amresh Yadav, the couple who purchased the child—Bhola Yadav and Kalawati—a doctor named Tara Kushwaha, and a helper at the hospital Suganti, stated SP Santish Kurmar Mishra to PTI.
The minor child was safely rescued and returned to his actual parents, said the police. A police constable was removed from active duty and transferred to the police lines for allegedly failing to take action in the case.
