ALAPPUZHA: The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR) has sought legal custody of the twin baby girls who had been allegedly sold for Rs 50,000 each some seven months ago. Ajimol and Anikumar from Kommadi had allegedly sold their twins to ShantiSankar and Rajitha of Velisserithekkethil, Azheekal of Kollam district and Shibu and Shobha of, Puthanmannel in, Arattupuzha on August 27th 2014.
The twin babies were born on August 24, 2015 at a private hospital in Kochi and the incident came to light only after Childline was informed of the incident on September 1, 2015.
The Childline probe found that the report of the sale of babies was true and handed over details to the district juvenile police unit and district child protection officer. But no action has been taken so far. KeSCPCR, in its order of February 15 which is with DC, has charged the Alappuzha north police of incompetence that in spite of the being aware of the babies being kept illegally by the adoptee couples, failed to act under the provisions of Sections 75, 80 and 81 of the Juvenile Justice Act of 2005.
The KeSCPCR has also ordered the District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the district police chief to take custody of the twins immediately from the adoptees.
The order also seeks action against the errant police officers who had shown a cavalier attitude in their investigations. Investigations by the police had revealed that the parents of the twin baby girls on being discharged from hospital on August 27, 2015, handed their children on the way home from Kochi to the couples who paid Rs 50,000 each. It is reported that the deal was struck through an 'agent' one Kavitha from Kayamkulam.
It is also reliably learnt that the parents had taken this dire step since they already had four boys and could ill-afford to take care of two more. It is suspected that the parents might have taken this step after discovering through the Gender Prediction Test (scanning) that the twins were in fact girls, decided to give them up for adoption.
KeSCPCR has in its order has also called for an awareness campaign though the display of notices in the maternity wards of hospitals that it is cognizable offence to 'sell' their babies to others.
