Malda, March 31: A 19-year-old woman attempted suicide at Satghoria last night, unable to bear the trauma she had been suffering since she sold her eight-month-old daughter for Rs 6,000.

Sabina (name changed), who had been in the grip of poverty and malnutrition, sold the girl to a couple in Old Malda Town last week as she did not have constant income to feed the baby.

Last night, the woman decided to hang herself from the ceiling of her house and while tightening the noose around her neck, she started groaning. Attracted by the sounds, the neighbours rushed to her house and brought her down. She was later admitted to the district hospital.

Sabina had been married to a youth of the same village, which is 25km from here, about two years ago. Her husband, who had gone in search of work when she was expecting the baby, has not returned.

After giving birth to her daughter, Sabina was driven out of her in-laws’ house. She then went to her 60-year-old grandmother. The sexagenarian used to make bidis to eke out a livelihood and she hardly earned the income needed to look after Sabina and the baby.

Lying on the cot in the hospital, she told the neighbours about the circumstances under which she had sold her daughter. “I do not want money. I want to get back my daughter,” a wailing Sabina said.

Informed by the neighbours, the officials of the social welfare department reached Satghoria today, but failed to trace the couple who had bought the baby.

District social welfare officer Pratyarpan Singha Roy said his department would take the help of police to locate the child. “Even though Sabina said she could identify the couple, she does not have their address with her,” he said. The officer also offered all help for her treatment.

The woman has stone in her gallbladder and the doctors attending to her said she needed a surgery.

Chief medical officer of health Srikanta Roy said Sabina could get free treatment at the district hospital.