Baby kidnap case: CWC orders to bring back child to Kerala in five days

PTI, Nov 18, 2021, 12:51 PM IST

Thiruvananthapuram In a major development in the controversial ‘baby kidnap’ case, the Child Welfare Committee here has issued an order directing the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW) to bring back the child to Kerala in the next five days.

The one-year old boy, currently in the foster care of a couple in Andhra Pradesh, is suspected to be the child of Anupama S Chandran who raised allegations against her parents for kidnapping her baby soon after his birth and given in adoption through KSCCW without her consent a year ago.

When the child is brought back to the state, a DNA test would be carried out to identify his biological parents, as per the order which also directed to provide the baby an escort of a Special Juvenile Police Unit during his journey from Andhra.

The development was a great relief for Anupama and her partner Ajith who are on a stand-in-protest in front of the KSCCW office at Thycaud here for some days demanding to get her baby back.

“The General Secretary, KSCCW is directed to produce the child before the CWC here within five days on receipt of this order,” it said.

The DNA test of the baby should be conducted without any delay and till its results come, the child shall be under the care and protection of the District Child Protection officer, the order added.

As informed by the KSCCW authorities, the couple reached the office and collected the copy of the order in the morning.

Expressing happiness over the development, she said she would continue her protest till she gets the baby in hand.

The legal battle against the KSCCW authorities and everyone those behind forcibly separating the child from her would also taken forward, she added.

“Feeling very much happy and relieved now. I hope I can see my baby soon. I believe that there wont be much formalities after the DNA test and I would get my child by December beginning,” an excited Anupama told reporters here.

The woman’s allegations of forcible taking away of her new born child by her father, a local CPI(M) leader, has triggered widespread political controversy in the state.

Her allegations against senior party leaders for not helping her in the issue had put the Marxist party leadership in a fix.

The Opposition Congress-UDF even took the issue to the state Assembly and termed it as one of the most heinous “honour crimes” reported in the state.

The government had announced a departmental probe into the incident.

The 24-year-old Anupama had accused her parents of having taken away her new-born child forcibly from her soon after its birth a year ago and alleged that though she had complained about it to the police several times since April, they were reluctant to register a case against the family members.

However, Peroorkkada police here has said a case was registered against six people, including her parents, sister and husband, and father’s two friends, and said the delay happened as they were awaiting legal opinion.

A family court last month had stayed the adoption process of the child and directed the police to submit a detailed report in a sealed cover.