Bengal Girl Travelled 30 Km, Tried To Sell Blood To Pay For Smartphone

The girl has an ordinary phone. As it got damaged a few days ago, she ordered a smartphone worth Rs 9,000 online from a friend's mobile phone on Sunday.

In a shocking incident from West Bengal, a young girl travelled almost 30 km to sell her blood to pay for a smartphone. On questioning, she gave incoherent reasons, even that her parents had died, but eventually admitted that she had already ordered a smartphone worth Rs 9,000 and needed money to pay for it.

The minor girl, from West Bengal's South Dinajpur district, travelled close to 30 km by bus and went straight to the Balurghat District Hospital to sell her blood and arrange money for that mobile phone. However, hospital authorities explained to her that it doesn't work that way, and ensured that she was handed over to her parents after being counselled.

As soon as the matter came to the attention of the staff of the hospital's blood bank, the authorities rescued the Class 12 student and handed her over to Childline India, an NGO that operates a helpline for children in distress.

The 17-year-old girl, who is from the Tapan area of South Dinajpur, told authorities that she had recently ordered a smartphone online, and it occurred to her that she can get the money to pay for it by donating blood to the hospital.