4-member Team Leaves for Andhra Pradesh to Bring ‘Missing Baby’ Back

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
A four-member team formed on the directions of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on Saturday left the state to bring back the baby, snatched after its birth and given up for adoption to a couple in Andhra Pradesh.

The CWC had directed the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCWC) to bring the infant back to Kerala under police escort within five days time.

The team, which comprises of a woman official from the CWC, three police officials, including a lady, is expected to return later in the day along with the baby.

The CWC order to this effect came out early this week after Anupama–22 year old mother –sat on an indefinite protest before the Council since last Thursday, demanding the removal of the top office-bearers of the KSCCWC and CWC, who she alleged are behind handing over her baby to the adoptive parents.

Once the baby is brought here, it will be under the custody of the Kerala government and a DNA test will be conducted.

SFI activist Anupama, granddaughter of one of the topmost yesteryear CPI-M leaders in the state capital, and her husband Ajith had approached the State Police chief and the Child Welfare Committee in this regard.

The couple was forced to approach the media after their pleas to the top officials went unheard.

According to sources, the CWC had allegedly given away Anupama’s child to an Andhra Pradesh couple for adoption last year and the young parents are hopeful that the DNA test will reveal the truth, as along with this baby, there was another baby which was given to adoptive parents, here and a DNA test on that baby turned negative.

Soon after the media hype, a family court in the state capital put a stop to further proceedings of formalising the adoption.

On Saturday, the court while hearing the petition, slammed the Council for failing to produce the license of adoption as it’s the second time that its directive was not adhered to.

Meanwhile, the CWC informed the court that the probe is into its last lap and it requires time till 29th of this month to be completed, which was allowed.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPI-M had come under severe duress in the public domain in the way allegations surfaced how the party and the Vijayan government acted in this case and had it not been for the media blitz, Anupama would not have had any chance to get her baby back, as she has been knocking on all doors ever since the baby was taken away four days after she gave birth.