West Bengal couple sells baby boy to buy iPhone 14, make Instagram reels

In a shocking incident, a West Bengal-based couple sold their eight-month-old baby boy to purchase an iPhone 14 so that they could make videos for Instagram reels.

According to media reports, the couple was identified as Jaydev Ghosh and Sathi, who live in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. They wanted to buy an expensive phone to shoot reels and decided to go for the latest Apple iPhone. The couple also have a seven-year-old daughter.

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The police rescued the infant from Priyanka Ghosh, a resident of Khardah in the same district. She has been arrested along with the boy’s mother. However, the infant’s father is absconding, and a search is on to nab him. The police have registered a case against the couple and the woman who bought the baby on charges of human trafficking.

The mother of the child confessed to the crime during interrogation. She also revealed that they wanted to use the money to take trips across the state so that they could create content for Instagram reels. According to the authorities, the father also made an alleged bid to sell his daughter, but the plan did not materialise.

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The matter came to light when the baby had been missing for days and the parents displayed no signs of concern, which made their neighbours suspicious. The couple’s possession of an iPhone 14 also added to the neighbours’ suspicion as the family was somehow managing to eke out their livelihood and was battling financial difficulties in the past.

Talking to the media, their neighbour alleged the deal for the baby boy was struck in Rs 2 lakh. “They visited many places, like Digha Sea Beach, with the money. They even bought a mobile phone,” said Laxmi Kundu, the neighbour.