Child welfare officials here have a task fit for King Solomon with a seven-month-old baby being claimed by both her adoptive parents and her biological parents, who had sold her away for Rs 1,000.
Pandu was born on November 16, 2014 to Mohammed Ayub and Manchala Sowjanya alias Rafiya, but was sold to a childless couple, Putta Jyothi and Peturu, when she was three months old. News of the sale broke earlier this week, and the Women and Child Welfare Department officials took custody of the baby and lodged her at the government’s Sishu Griha. They called both sets of parents for an inquiry into the episode on Friday.
Emotions spilled over as each set of parents presented their side of the story and claimed custody of Pandu, who watched the proceedings unmindful of its import to her future.
Ayub and Sowjanya, an inter-faith couple from Pinaguduru Lanka village in Krishna district, said they sold the baby, three months after her birth, because they were unable to provide for her.
Pandu is their second daughter, the older one being five years old. Sowjanya said she agreed with her husband, a carpenter’s apprentice who is frequently out of work, and decided to sell the baby to Putta Jyothi, of Kothapalem village in Mudinepalli mandal, for Rs 1000 and pasupu kumkuma (a ritual offering of turmeric and vermilion).
Sowjanya said that after the news became public, she realised her mistake and now wanted Pandu restored to her.
“We sold her because we are very poor, but I have realised my mistake now. We will take care of the baby. Please give our child to us,” she begged the Child Welfare officials.
Jyothi and her husband Peturu, a farming couple, said they adopted the baby as they had been issueless for seven years.
“There has been no female child in our family for three generations. Pandu has spent 100 days with us and we have developed love and affection for her. I can’t live without Pandu. We are willing to follow any legal procedure to adopt her,” pleaded Jyothi. She showed a document signed by Sowjanya stating that she was selling the baby of her own volition.
At one moment during the hearing Pandu began to cry, and both mothers rushed to her and tried to calm the infant.
When Jyothi stretched her hands, the baby smiled and came into her arms, leaving the adopting mother and her husband in tears.
The couple handed over the toys they had brought for the baby.
After hearing the arguments, the Child Welfare Committee decided to send the baby back to Sishu Gruha.
