Kerala Opposition party demands judicial probe into 'honour crime'

The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala has demanded a judicial probe into the alleged irregularities in making a child free for adoption, even as state woman and child development minister Veena George maintained that there were no irregularities in the procedures.

The state Assembly witnessed noisy scenes over the issue on Tuesday and opposition leader V D Satheesan even accused that the ruling left-front was party to an 'honour crime'. The opposition staged a walkout after Speaker M B Rajesh denied permission to an adjournment motion on the matter.

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The issue pertained to the allegation of 22-year-old Anupama Chandran of Thiruvananthapuram that her newborn was forcefully taken away by her father, who is a CPM local leader, mother and some relatives, and abandoned at the (KSCCW) in 2020 October. The child was born out of an unwedded relationship with a married man and hence the family allegedly abandoned the child.

Replying to the adjournment motion notice given by UDF MLA K K Rema, minister George said that the adoption procedures so far were followed as per norms only and if the biological mother was willing to take care of the child the government would support it.

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The opposition alleged that the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW) and the police were part of a heinous crime of separating a newborn from its mother.

A family court in Kerala on Monday stalled the adoption procedures and sought a police inquiry report and also suggested a DNA test.

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