KOZHIKODE: In a late night development, the state government disbanded the Wayanad CWC and handed over the charge to Kozhikode CWC. While CWC chairman Fr Thomas Joseph Terakam and member Sr Dr Betty Jose have been sacked from their posts, other members of the board have been removed temporarily. Meanwhile, the four accused in the rape case of the minor girl at Kottiyoor in Kannur have moved the court for anticipatory bail. They include the doctors at the Christu Raj hospital, Kuthuparambu, Sr Dr Tessy Jose, paediatrician Dr Hyder Ali. M., hospital administrator Sr Ancy Mathew.
The superintendent of Holy Infant Mary Home at Vythiri, Sr Opheliya had filed the anticipatory bail petition on Monday. The first three moved the petition at Thalasserry Additional Sessions Court (One) and Sr Opheliya at Wayanad District Sessions Court. They are respectively the third, fourth, fifth and eight accused in the case. The girl who was allegedly raped by former vicar Fr Robin Vadakkumchery delivered a baby at the hospital on February 7. The charge is that accused three, four and five conspired to save Fr Vadakkumchery by faking the age of the girl and immediately discharging her thereby denying the baby breast milk.
Sr Opheliya allegedly colluded with the first accused Fr Robin to hide the newborn and also failed to inform the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Wayanad. Sections of POCSO and Juvenile Justice Act have been slapped on the accused. Social Justice Director, who heads the high-level inquiry team into the lapses on the part of Wayanad CWC had submitted its interim report to the government. Earlier, the report of the Wayanad district child protection officer (DCPO) had held the CWC responsible for grave lapses.
