Custody drama unfolds in US

Barely months after the plight of the Bhattacharya kids in Norway grabbed the headlines, a Bengali couple in the US was left distraught after the child care unit of the country took custody of their one-year-old son, alleging that the baby was physically abused at home.

The couple, Debashish and Pamela Saha, who relocated to New Jersey in July, maintained that their son Indrasish fell from the bed and sustained injuries.

“On August 9, my son fell from the cot and became unconscious. He was immediately taken to the Children's Specialised Trauma Care Centre in New Jersey. The medical report said he was shaken violently by his mother that led to the injuries,” Debashish Saha told Deccan Herald over phone.

“They were not ready to believe that the child fell from the bed and placed him under the care of a protection unit. He has been sent to a rehabilitation centre. They are not even allowing us meet our son,” Debashish, hailing from Balurghat in South Dinajpur District of West Bengal, said.

“The medical report says the child has suffered a subdural hematoma and a retinal clot due to intentional shaking, which is not correct,” said Debashish. The child protection agency now wants to investigate how Indrasish fell from the bed.

“The first date of hearing was on September 7 and we went to the court without a lawyer because the charges of the lawyers are very high here. We have the second hearing on September 14 and the court has directed us to bring a lawyer with us. We don’t know how to arrange for a lawyer,” Debashish, who has a job with a multi-national company in New Jersey, said.