Child Missing case rocks Kerala Assembly; Opposition terms it 'honour crime'

Thiruvananthapuram: The opposition alliance of Kerala, UDF on Tuesday raised the issue of a ruling CPI(M) leader putting up his grandchild for adoption without the knowledge of his daughter at the Kerala Legislative Assembly which lead to heated arguments and protests.

Hitting hard at the Left government, the Congress-led opposition termed it as one of the most heinous "honour crimes" reported in the state. The opposition also alleged that the top leaders of the Marxist party and the entire government machinery were complicit in the crime and demanded a judicial probe into the incident.

They also questioned the present claim of the CPI(M) leadership that their stand was to get the mother her baby back.

Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader and Vadakara legislator K K Rema, an arch critic of the CPI(M) and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, sought notice for the adjournment motion on behalf of the opposition.

In her hard-hitting speech, Rema alleged that the police and the State Council for Child Welfare, who should have acted in accordance with the law, had committed serious lapses in the case under the influence of the complainant Anupama S Chandran's father, a local committee member of the CPI(M).

Vijayan, who holds the home portfolio, could stand only with his head down in front of the mothers and children of the state, she said.

"Anupama and her child are the victims of one of the most heinous honour crimes Kerala has ever witnessed...It was as an honour crime executed collectively by the entire state machinery," she said.

Not just to Anupama, but they have shown cruelty also to the couple who adopted the child without knowing all the background, she said.

"It was a shock to know that all the government systems were complicit in the crime along with the family. The child welfare committee should be dissolved and a judicial probe should be conducted into the incident," Rema said.

Meanwhile, the opposition members trooped to the well of the House and protested alleging that Speaker M B Rajesh did not give enough time for the woman leader to complete her speech.

Leader of Opposition, V D Satheesan said though the actions of the state-run Council was "mysterious" in connection with the incident, the government was trying to whitewash their crimes and protect them instead of punishing the wrongdoers.

The Marxist party and its government, who were always waxing eloquent about progressive ideologies, had adopted a reactionary stand in the issue and intervened in it in the way an extreme right-wing group would do, he further charged.

However, State Minister for Health and Woman and Child Welfare, Veena George rejected the demand of the opposition to discuss the matter in the House suspending all other proceedings.

Rubbishing the charges, she said the state-run panel had put up the child for adoption after fulfilling all mandatory legal proceedings.

The court proceedings should be completed for Anupama to get her baby back, she said adding that the infant should be with its mother if she is ready to look after it.

The 24-year-old Anupama had accused her parents of having taken away her newborn child forcibly from her soon after its birth a year ago and alleged that though she had complained about it to the police several times since April, they were reluctant to register a case against the family members.

However, Police has said a case was registered earlier this week against six people, including her parents, sister and husband, and father's two friends, and said the delay happened as they were awaiting legal opinion.

A family court on Monday stayed the adoption process of the child and directed the police to submit a detailed report on a sealed cover.

The matter was posted for further hearing on November 1.