In order to buy an iPhone and pay for their travel so they could create content for Instagram, an Indian couple allegedly sold their eight-month-old kid in the state of West Bengal, according to Indian media.
The Indian Express quotes unnamed police officials as saying that the couple’s new phone prompted the community to alert the authorities.
The World Bank has brought attention to areas of extreme poverty in West Bengal, which may have played a role in fueling suspicions in these instances. The region’s GDP per capita, an indicator of income, was around US$1,600 in 2022, according to a PRS Legislative Research research. This was slightly more than the price of a brand new iPhone 14 in the country at the time.
Couple detained for trying to sell their daughter in Nowshera
The police official cited by The Indian Express named the suspects as Jaydev Ghosh and Sathi. According to the police report, they sold the infant to a local woman named Priyanka Ghosh.
Upon further questioning, the mother admitted to the crime and explained that she and her partner had planned to use the stolen funds to take road trips around the state and produce video for Instagram Reels.
According to the newspaper, both the child’s mother and Priyanka were taken into police custody.
The police were able to save the baby. It was also claimed by the authorities that the baby’s father had sought to sell their seven-year-old child. The father is reportedly hiding out somewhere and is wanted by the police.
