Thiruvananthapuram: The police are finding it difficult to carry further investigations into the case pertaining to adoption of Anupama S Chandran’s child without her consent.
The Kerala State Child Welfare Council has refused to answer the queries of Kerala police regarding the adoption of the child, citing legal immunity. The Child Welfare Committee has also not responded to the questions.
Following this the police have decided to seek legal opinion on taking forward the investigations.
After the registration of the case, the police had recorded the statements of Anupama and her partner Ajith Kumar.
The statement of Anupama’s father P S Jayachandran, who is the first accused in the case, is yet to be taken.However prior to registration of case, the police had sought information from Jayachandran.
The police had approached the State Child Welfare Council after recording the statements of the couple whose baby was allegedly given away for adoption in a hasty manner violating norms.
A questionnaire was handed over by the police to the Council.
The Council has given a reply stating that a male child was received in the cradle, Ammathottil, at night on the very day Anupama’s baby went missing as mentioned by her in her complaint.
However, the Council authorities didn't reply to the questions about the present whereabouts of the baby or whether it has been given for adoption.
The Council informed the police that it has legal protection from answering such questions and if required the queries could be put to the Child welfare Committee. Subsequently, the police submitted a letter to the Child Welfare Committee. However, no reply has been received yet.
The police are seeking legal opinion on the way forward should the CWC also take the same stand of legal immunity in replying to questions.
With six accused, including Jayachandran, approaching the court seeking anticipatory bail, the police have decided to wait for their statement. The police stand is that their arrest is not needed at this stage.
Anupama had earlier accused her parents of forcefully taking away her newborn and handing him over to the Child Welfare Committee for adoption. Her partner Ajith, a divorcee, was a former local leader of the CPM and its youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). Anupama's parents had been opposed to her relationship with him. She gave birth to a child out of wedlock late last year when in a relationship with Ajith.
