More than nine months after a five-month-old boy was rescued in a case that exposed the devastating impact of drug addiction on a family in Mansa district, he continues to live in an orphanage with no sign of being reunited with his family. Allegedly sold by his biological parents for Rs 1.8 lakh, the child has not been visited by either his parents or the couple accused of buying him since his rescue in October last year.The child is currently staying at an orphanage in Nathana village, Bathinda district. “We cannot legally place the child for adoption because his biological parents are alive. He has not received a single visit from them since he came to the orphanage. We are exploring the legal options available,” said Harjinder Kaur, District Child Protection Officer, Mansa.The child’s biological father is again lodged in jail in a case under the NDPS Act, while the man accused of taking custody of the child is also behind bars in another NDPS case. The child’s mother has reportedly returned to her parental home. His grandfather and granduncle have also left their house in Akbarpur Khudal village.The woman accused of buying the child said she still thinks about him. “We fell into the trap of the child’s mother and her sister. We had tried to adopt him, but instead landed in jail. I still have his photographs and videos on my phone. We could not complete the legal formalities, and now my husband is again in jail in another case. We have four daughters and wanted a son,” she said.Villagers say the orphanage has become the child’s safest refuge. “At least the child is being looked after properly,” said Satar Ali, husband of village sarpanch Parveen.Sub-Inspector Ganeshwar Kumar, SHO of Bareta police station, confirmed that both the child’s biological father and the Budhlada resident arrested in the case are currently in separate NDPS cases.The case surfaced last year after the child’s maternal aunt alleged that the couple who bought the infant supplied ‘chitta’ (heroin) to her sister and brother-in-law. According to the complaint, the couple exploited the parents’ addiction, offered those drugs and money, and eventually persuaded them to sell their five-month-old son for Rs 1.8 lakh.When The Tribune visited the family’s house, it was found locked. Neighbours said the elderly relatives had shifted elsewhere and now visit the village only occasionally.