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V.Balasubramani
Guest
Baby girls being ‘exchanged or gifted’ to childless couples in Kerala
Driven by poverty, instances of baby girls being ‘exchanged or gifted’ to childless couples in Kerala, have come to the fore here as the police brought back three babies from that State on Monday.
A special police team was earlier deputed to Kerala to bring back two 15-day-old baby girls and a two-year-old baby, after it came to light that a newborn was ‘given off’ to a Village Health Nurse (VHN) in Anjetti here last week.
The issue came out into the open, after a 15-day-old baby girl was given away to VHN Alphonsa for Rs. 20,000 by her mother Selathammal. She and her spouse Perumal had two daughters and were unwilling to take care of the newborn, owing to lack of means, sources here said.
Following this, a local inquiry was ordered by Collector T.P. Rajesh when it came to light that two more babies were similarly handed over to the VHN to be given away to childless couples in Kerala allegedly for a consideration.
Jayam, Inspector of the All Women’s Police Station, Anjetti, told The Hindu that “prima facie, there was no evidence of commercial transaction. However, investigation is on.” The babies were given to a man from Kerala who lives in Hosur, who in turn gave the babies to childless couples in Elakhnam area of Thiruvananthapuram. According to the police official, Alphonsa came into contact with the man, through his wife, who was a staff nurse in a Hosur-based private hospital.
Selathammal’s baby was given to a childless couple of Elakhnam in Thiruvananthapuram.
“The foster home looked bereaved, when we went to retrieve the baby. The foster mother, Vidya, was inconsolable. We explained to them that no legal procedure was followed and it was illegal to secure a baby like this.”
The second baby, just 17-days-old, was given away by mother Pachiammal to another couple in Elakhnam. The third baby, now 2 years of age, was given away at birth at Kadakhnatham village in Anjetti. Police said the girl’s mother, Ranjitha, lost mental balance after she was violently hit by her husband. The spouse ended his life later. The girl was being brought up by a couple at Kodakhanur.
“We have handed over the babies. The man to whom the babies were given is not a broker and he too belongs to the same area as the foster families. It seemed they were all distantly related.”
Read more at: Baby girls being ?exchanged or gifted? to childless couples in Kerala - The Hindu
Driven by poverty, instances of baby girls being ‘exchanged or gifted’ to childless couples in Kerala, have come to the fore here as the police brought back three babies from that State on Monday.
A special police team was earlier deputed to Kerala to bring back two 15-day-old baby girls and a two-year-old baby, after it came to light that a newborn was ‘given off’ to a Village Health Nurse (VHN) in Anjetti here last week.
The issue came out into the open, after a 15-day-old baby girl was given away to VHN Alphonsa for Rs. 20,000 by her mother Selathammal. She and her spouse Perumal had two daughters and were unwilling to take care of the newborn, owing to lack of means, sources here said.
Following this, a local inquiry was ordered by Collector T.P. Rajesh when it came to light that two more babies were similarly handed over to the VHN to be given away to childless couples in Kerala allegedly for a consideration.
Jayam, Inspector of the All Women’s Police Station, Anjetti, told The Hindu that “prima facie, there was no evidence of commercial transaction. However, investigation is on.” The babies were given to a man from Kerala who lives in Hosur, who in turn gave the babies to childless couples in Elakhnam area of Thiruvananthapuram. According to the police official, Alphonsa came into contact with the man, through his wife, who was a staff nurse in a Hosur-based private hospital.
Selathammal’s baby was given to a childless couple of Elakhnam in Thiruvananthapuram.
“The foster home looked bereaved, when we went to retrieve the baby. The foster mother, Vidya, was inconsolable. We explained to them that no legal procedure was followed and it was illegal to secure a baby like this.”
The second baby, just 17-days-old, was given away by mother Pachiammal to another couple in Elakhnam. The third baby, now 2 years of age, was given away at birth at Kadakhnatham village in Anjetti. Police said the girl’s mother, Ranjitha, lost mental balance after she was violently hit by her husband. The spouse ended his life later. The girl was being brought up by a couple at Kodakhanur.
“We have handed over the babies. The man to whom the babies were given is not a broker and he too belongs to the same area as the foster families. It seemed they were all distantly related.”
Read more at: Baby girls being ?exchanged or gifted? to childless couples in Kerala - The Hindu
