THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As criticism mounted against Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW) general secretary JS Shiju Khan for allegedly flouting adoption norms in the case of Anupama S Chandran's baby, the CPM firmly threw its weight behind the embattled young party leader.
CPM Thiruvananthapuram district secretary Anavoor Nagappan said the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the KSCCW made no mistakes in the adoption case and till the allegations against Shiju was proved, there will be no action against him.
Anavoor claimed to be ignorant of the findings in the report filed by Women and Child Development Department director T V Anupama, which reportedly contain adverse remarks against the KSCCW.
Anavoor said the party did not condone the act of siring children in extra-marital affairs, but it was of the opinion that Anupama should get her child back.
Reacting to the statements, Anupama said Anavoor was also a culprit in the adoption row and hence he was trying to protect Shiju. "Anavoor might be afraid that his role in the case would be exposed and that's why he is protecting Shiju," Anupama said.
She added that her protest against Shiju and CWC chairperson N Sunanda will continue and the change in the mode of protest will be decided later.
A departmental inquiry has found lapses on the part of Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW) in the adoption procedures of Anupama’s baby. The Women and Child Welfare Department’s report points fingers at CWC chairperson N Sunanda and general secretary of KSCCW Shiju Khan for the roles they played in the controversy.
The report found that the two organisations headed by these two officials deliberately went ahead with the adoption procedures even when they were aware of the complaints lodged by Anupama. The findings affirm allegations raised by the biological mother, Anupama S Chandran, that there were concerted efforts to sabotage her claim over the child.
On Wednesday, a departmental inquiry, submitted by director of Women and Child Welfare Department, TV Anupama, had found lapses on the part of Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW) in the adoption procedures adopted for Anupama's baby. The Women and Child Welfare Department's report points fingers at CWC chairperson N Sunanda and general secretary of KSCCW Shiju Khan for the roles they played in the controversy.
The report found that the two organisations headed by these two officials deliberately went ahead with the adoption procedures even when they were aware of the complaints lodged by Anupama. The findings affirm allegations raised by the biological mother, Anupama S Chandran, that there were concerted efforts to sabotage her claim over the child.
As per the report, the CWC should have brought back the child who was given for foster care to a couple from Andhra Pradesh, and conducted a DNA test to check the veracity of the claim made by Anupama. Instead, the CWC filed an affidavit in the family court as part of the procedure to complete the adoption procedure. The report found documents to prove that the affidavit was filed on August 16, five days after Anupama approached KSCCW with her claim.
Anupama had delivered the baby out of wedlock on April 19. She accused her father, PS Jayachandran, of giving away the child for adoption to Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW) on October 22. She made a formal police complaint on April 19 this year. However, it took six months for police to file a first information report when the issue snowballed into a major controversy. Anupama had to stage public protests including a hunger strike to get justice.