Kerala high court refuses to entertain plea seeking order to produce Anupama’s child

A sessions court here granted anticipatory bail to five people, including Chandran’s mother and sister, accused in the missing child’s case. Her father, Jayachandran, who has been asked to keep away from party functions by the Community Party of India (Marxist), did not apply for anticipatory bail.

The Kerala high court on Tuesday refused to entertain a habeas corpus petition filed by CPI (M) leader S Jayachandran’s daughter Anupama S Chandran seeking an order to produce her child, who was allegedly adopted by a couple in Andhra Pradesh last year.

Anupama Chandran, daughter of senior CPI (M) leader S Jayachandran, said she was in the dark about the child for more than a year, and her parents often gave conflicting information about the adoption. (Agencies)

A division bench of Justices Vinod Chandran and C Jayachandran observed that child was not in illegal custody but with adoptive parents. Besides this, the family court in Thiruvananthapuram is hearing the issue in detail and there is no need for any intervention at this juncture, the bench said. The court also directed the counsel for Chandran to either withdraw the petition or it will be rejected on Wednesday when it takes it up again.

In the petition, Chandran argued that the newborn was given for adoption with the connivance of officials of the state council for child welfare without her knowledge, and all norms were flouted. Chandran said she was in the dark about the child for more than a year, and her parents often gave conflicting information about the adoption.

Meanwhile, a sessions court here granted anticipatory bail to five people, including Chandran’s mother and sister. Her father, Jayachandran, who has been asked to keep away from party functions by the Community Party of India (Marxist), did not apply for anticipatory bail. The accused can be released on bail with a surety of ₹1 lakh, the court added.

On Monday, a family court in the state capital ordered a DNA test to resolve the complaint about the controversial adoption of the newborn.

“The court favours a DNA test to identify if the baby given up for adoption belongs to Anupama S Chandran. There is a need to examine whether the baby was abandoned or not,” the court had observed while taking up Chandran’s plea to get back her child. The baby was reportedly given for adoption in August, and last week, the court had stayed the final adoption procedures.

The court also pulled up the state child welfare committee for its actions and directed it to file an action taken report by Nov 20. Serious anomalies and cover-ups were detected while giving the child for adoption.