Man Sells Newborn Daughter To Childless Couple For $2,500, Uses Money To Buy Phone, Gold Chain

A man sold his newborn daughter to a childless couple for $2,500 and bought a gold chain with the money for his youngest son. The man was arrested in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

The man, Yesuirudhayaraj, and his wife, Pushpalatha, were parents to one boy child and two girls. Earlier this month, the woman gave birth to twins – a girl and a boy. Unhappy with the birth of another girl, Yesuirudhayaraj decided to sell the newborn girl. He accordingly got in touch with brokers who informed him about a childless couple who were willing to illegally adopt the child. The man met the couple and sold the girl for $2,500, an amount that was split between him and the brokers.

"His wife Pushpalatha was unaware of this plan. He took the girl on Nov. 18 and gave her away. As soon as he got the money he bought a gold chain for his newborn son and a cellphone for himself. He further retrieved a bike and a cycle that he had mortgaged," an investigating official said.

The incident came to light Wednesday, when Yesuirudhayaraj and Pushpalatha did not take the girl to the hospital for a check-up and the doctors demanded to know where the newborn was.

"While Yesuirudhayaraj claims his wife knew what his plan was, she has denied any knowledge. They had a public fight in the hospital and a nurse there informed Childline (an NGO), leading to action," the official said.

A police complaint was filed following which Yesuirudhayaraj was taken into custody. Police said they also arrested the brokers and the man who bought the child. Meanwhile, the girl was temporarily handed over to an adoption agency.