Thiruvananthapuram: Dramatic scenes unfolded when the official team from Kerala reached the house of the teacher couple in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to take back the baby, who was given to them for foster care by the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW) without the consent of the mother.
The one-year-old boy is suspected to be the child of Anupama S Chandran, who has raised allegations against her parents for kidnapping her baby soon after his birth and giving him in adoption through the KSCCW without her consent a year ago.
The teacher couple gave the baby an emotional farewell at their home. They gave the child new sets of dresses along with other gifts.
Two Sub Inspectors of Police and a woman police official accompanied by an official from the KSCCW were part of the official team.Assistant Commissioner of the District Crime Branch Anil Kumar was in-charge of the mission.
The teacher couple had been informed well in advance of the decision of the District Child Welfare Council to take back the child.
The parents expressed doubt whether they would get entangled in any legal issue if the child is handed over to the officials without the order of the court. Then, the officials informed them of the latest directives given by the court on the matter.
The couple, who were given the custody of child for foster care as a pre-adoption formality, handed over the baby when the officials served them a copy of the order of the Child Welfare Council.
The husband and wife told the officials that they shared the view that the real mother of the baby should get justice. One of the team members opined that all the procedures related to the handing over of the child proceeded smoothly without a hitch.
The foster parents informed that they took the custody of the child by adhering to all legal proceedings. They had applied online for adoption on a website maintained by the Central Government. They attended the sitting of the family court in Vanchiyoor Court in Thiruvananthapuram.
After adopting the child, they shifted from their permanent home and lived in another place. Since they had to give up custody of the baby in an unforeseen session, they will get preference if they apply for the adoption process again.
The baby was brought to the Thiruvananthapuram airport by Sunday at 8.30 pm. The baby was taken to Nirmala Shishu Bhavan under the supervision of the Child Welfare Council. The DNA sample of the baby was collected.
Till any further orders from the court, the baby will continue to be put up in Nirmala Shishu Bhavan.
