UP Man Sells Son for Hospital Fees, Priyanka Gandhi Highlights Plight

A man in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly sold his son to cover hospital fees, sparking outrage. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra described the incident as heart-wrenching and questioned if humans now need to buy and sell others to survive in India.

Incident Details

Harish Patel, a daily wager from Barwa Patti, admitted his wife Lakshmina to a hospital where she gave birth to their sixth child. The hospital demanded Rs 4,000 for treatment, which Patel could not afford. Consequently, the hospital refused to release the mother and newborn.

In desperation, Patel agreed to sell his three-year-old son for Rs 20,000 under a fraudulent adoption deed. Priyanka Gandhi highlighted that the person who bought the child even got a stamp made in the tehsil and bribed the police with Rs 5,000.

Government Machinery Involvement

Priyanka Gandhi alleged that government machinery was complicit in this act that shamed humanity. She claimed that Harish's family was already burdened with loans from micro-finance companies charging exorbitant interest rates of 30 to 40 per cent.

"Where are the government schemes? Where is the health department? For whom is the government running? Will humans now have to buy and sell others to stay alive in our country?" Priyanka Gandhi questioned.

Police Action

Upon learning of the incident, police launched an investigation and arrested five individuals involved in the crime. These included Amresh Yadav, the alleged middleman; Bhola Yadav and his wife Kalawati, who adopted the child; a fake doctor Tara Kushwaha; and a hospital helper Suganti.

Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Mishra stated that a police constable who failed to take action has been removed from active duty and sent to police lines. The child was safely rescued and returned to his parents.

The incident has raised serious questions about healthcare accessibility and financial exploitation of poor families by micro-finance companies.