The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Infant back in tribal mother's lap

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 28, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Infant back in tribal mother's lap

By S. Ramu

The tribal woman, Padma, with her five-day-old infant at a hospital in Suryapet on Wednesday.

DEVANAIK THANDA (NALGONDA DT.), OCT. 27. Enraged by the birth of a girl child to her daughter-in-law, a tribal woman of this tiny thanda in Chievvemla mandal in Nalgonda district on Tuesday allegedly sold off the five-day-old infant to an unidentified person at Suraypet town.

The police, however, restored the newborn to her mother within six hours. Dharawath Srinu, a tribal, married Banoth Padma of Bikya thanda in February 2002 in the presence of his first wife and three girl children. "He has gone for the second marriage to have a son,'' one of Srinu's friends said.

``My husband and mother-in-law, Champli, insisted that I give birth to a boy and have been threatening me with dire consequences if I failed. To my dismay, I gave birth to a baby girl on October 23,'' Padma, who is being treated at a private hospital at Suryapet, told The Hindu on Wednesday.

Cooking up `death'

According to the police, Champli took away the infant and told her daughter-in-law that the baby had died while undergoing treatment at another hospital. "My mother-in-law told me that she was taking the baby for medical tests. But, on her return, she said my baby has died for unknown reasons,'' Padma said.

When hospital staff alerted the police, Champli coughed the truth. ``Champli wanted to kill the girl but a resident of Annadurai Nagar told her he will buy the infant.

He reportedly told her that he will make payment later,'' the police said. sPadma, who is on cloud nine after seeing her baby, said: "I have got my daughter back. I can take care of her."

She, however, appealed to officials to help her. Meanwhile, the police are set to book a case against Champli, Srinu and the person who `bought' the child.

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