A woman, unable to bear the burden of abject poverty, allegedly sold her seven-month-old daughter through a local agent in West Bengal's Nadia district on Monday.
On getting information about the incident, the police detained the woman, 27-year-old Rinku Das, and the agent, Madhab Saha.
During interrogation, Das, whose husband had recently deserted her, told the police she was compelled to sell the child as she lacked the means to care for her.
"I sold my daughter with the hope that she gets three square meals a day," said Das, who resides in Nadia's Krishnagar Station Para area.
Sabyasachi Raman Mishra, Nadia superintendent of police, said the infant was bought by one Apu Guha, who resides at Rajberi village in North 24 Parganas district.
The local police have been informed and steps are being taken to recover the baby, Mishra said.