Opposition leader ‘shocked, concerned and ashamed’ over newborn being handed over amid poverty

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 2, 2026

Opposition leader ‘shocked, concerned and ashamed’ over newborn being handed over amid poverty

By Our Correspondent

Agartala 1 September : Tripura Opposition Leader Jitendra Chaudhury has expressed shock, concern and shame over an incident in which a newborn was allegedly handed over to a childless woman by his biological parents, reportedly because of extreme poverty.

The incident, reported from Giddhikumar village under the Bagafa block in South Tripura, has also raised questions over the recording of a woman’s identity in the official documents of a primary health centre.

According to the preliminary inquiry, Manimala Tripura, a resident of Giddhikumar, gave birth to the child at the Baikhora Primary Health Centre on August 25. The newborn was subsequently handed over to Debika Reang, a childless woman from Deshrai Para, following an understanding between the two families.

The matter came to light after allegations of child sale began circulating in the area. Childline officials subsequently visited the health centre and examined the records. They reportedly found that Manimala Tripura’s name did not figure in the hospital records as the woman who had delivered the child.

Instead, the records identified Debika Reang as the mother. Her husband’s name was also reportedly entered in the relevant documents. The records showed that a woman bearing Debika Reang’s name had been admitted on the morning of August 25 and discharged around one-and-a-half hours after delivery.

However, a subsequent visit by Childline representatives, police personnel and a magistrate to Giddhikumar established that Manimala Tripura was the biological mother of the newborn.

Officials reportedly learnt that Manimala and her husband, Harendra Tripura, were unable to support another child because of severe financial hardship. The family already has four children and lives in extremely difficult circumstances.

The two families had allegedly planned to hand over the newborn to Ms. Reang because she was childless. The alleged use of Ms. Reang’s identity in the health-centre records was apparently intended to establish her as the child’s mother in official documents and facilitate subsequent birth registration.

Mr. Chaudhury said the episode was “shocking, concerning and shameful”, and called for the circumstances leading to the incident to be examined. He also questioned how the identity of a different woman could have been recorded in official hospital documents.

The two families were later brought to Baikhora police station. During discussions, the biological parents reportedly stated that they did not have the financial means to raise the child.

The newborn was subsequently recovered from Ms. Reang and placed under the care of the State Adoption Agency for further legal proceedings.

The incident has highlighted both the vulnerability of impoverished families and the need for strict adherence to legal procedures governing adoption. It has also prompted questions over the verification and maintenance of records at the Baikhora health centre.

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