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Kerala new-born missing case: Govt orders probe
Health minister Veena George said they will do everything possible to locate Anupama S Chandran’s baby. “We will also examine the role of the child welfare committee and other agencies. I have sought a report from the social welfare secretary,” said George
The Kerala government on Friday ordered a probe into “serious lapses and delay” on the part of its agencies in locating the baby of the daughter of a ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M) leader, who has accused her parents of snatching away her newborn as they disapproved of her relationship with her Dalit husband.
Health minister Veena George said they will do everything possible to locate Anupama S Chandran’s baby. “We will also examine the role of the child welfare committee and other agencies. I have sought a report from the social welfare secretary,” said George.
The Kerala State Women’s Commission on Thursday also ordered an inquiry in the case.
The CPI (M) too pledged support to Chandran. Anavoor Nagappan, a CPI (M) district secretary, said the party will stand with Chandran and help locate her baby. Chandran, 23, reiterated the party was aware of everything and did not expect justice from it. She added it was forced to react as the case has hit national headlines. Chandran said she has been struggling to trace her baby after she was allegedly separated three days after birth last October.
“When I approached the district secretary (Nagappan), he was rude to me. He was also instrumental in expelling my husband from the party. After I filed a police complaint against my father for kidnapping my child, he was elevated and given new responsibility... What the district secretary is saying is a bunch of lies.”
Chandran, who is a leader of the Students Federation of India, said she lodged a police complaint in April, approached the chief minister, police chief saying her baby was snatched. She added they feign ignorance now. Chandran said police failed to take action due to political pressure and she was forced to go to the media. She said since she went public, she feared for the baby’s life.
PS Jayachandran, Chandran’s father, has claimed said since the baby was born out of wedlock, they sent the baby to the government-run children’s home in Thiruvananthapuram with his daughter’s consent. He added Chandran signed on stamp paper but the daughter has said she did so under duress.
“My father is misleading the investigation. At times he says the child was shifted to Tamil Nadu and later he said the baby was in the children’s home in the state capital (Thiruvananthapuram). The DNA test of two children admitted at the same period in the children’s home was also done but they did not match us,” she said.
The opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have sought a probe and the baby’s return to the mother. “It really shocked the conscience of the state but the party is still clinging on technicalities and dismisses it as a mere family issue,” said Congress leader V D Satheessan.
BJP leader K Surendran questioned the CPI (M)’s claim of being a rights champion. “How can it deny the right of a mother? Left intellectuals, who sign joint statements at a drop of a hat, are silent now.”
Police have issued sent summons to the children’s home and child welfare committee. Shiju Khan, a CPI(M) leader and the secretary of the home, refused to comment.
