Couple sells eight-month-old son to buy iPhone

A couple in the Indian state of West Bengal reportedly sold their eight-month-old baby to purchase an iPhone and fund their travel for creating content on Instagram, Indian media reported.

The Indian Express, quoting police officials, reported that local authorities sprang into action after residents noticed the couple's recent acquisition of a brand-new phone.

The World Bank has highlighted pockets of high poverty in West Bengal, likely contributing to suspicions in such cases. A 2022 PRS Legislative Research report revealed that the region's GDP per capita, an income indicator, stood at approximately US$1,600, just slightly higher than the price of a new iPhone 14 in the country at that time.

Read more: Couple arrested for selling daughter in Nowshera

The individuals involved were identified as Jaydev Ghosh and Sathi, according to the police official cited by The Indian Express. Police said they sold the baby to Priyanka Ghosh, who lives in the same region.

Following interrogation, the mother confessed to the act, revealing the couple's intention to utilise the money for state-wide trips and content creation on Instagram Reels.

The newspaper reported the mother of the child and Priyanka had been arrested by the police

The baby was successfully rescued by the police. The authorities also alleged that the baby's father attempted to sell their seven-year-old child, though the plan did not come to fruition. The father is currently evading authorities and is considered a fugitive, as per the report.