Expressing concern over police inaction in child missing cases, Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court today directed the Dindigul Superintendent of Police to file a detailed report about the follow up action taken on such cases as per the courts earlier directions.
Justice S Nagamuthu and Justice V.S.Ravi who were hearing a Habeas Corpus Petition filed by K Mariyammal of Pannuvarpatti in Dindigul district, wondered why police had not registered any case on her complaint which said that those who were in possession of her child were asking Rs two lakh to get back her baby.
"Are such crimes allowed even after the country got freedom 69 years ago and law has made it clear that selling of child is illegal" the Judges asked Additional Public prosecutor.
The petitioner submitted that her husband Kumar took her two and half year old child Velmurugan about one and a half years back. He also took her signature in blank papers telling that he had to give the child some vaccination.
But he did not return. As she was an illiterate it was not possible for her to trace the child and her husband. Then she came to know on November 2014, that her child was with Kalidass and Ramakrishnan of Dindigul district. When she approached them to return the baby, they said that child had been sold for Rs two lakh and she should give the money back to get her baby back.
They also abused and threatened to kill her. She filed a complaint with the police on Dec 30, 2014, but police neither registered the case nor conducted any investigation.
In the meanwhile she came to know that her husband Kumar was living with another woman. She said selling or purchasing a baby was illegal and punishable under law. But Police had not taken any action on her complaint.
She urged the court to intervene and produce the child and her husband in person in the court.
The judges pointed out that similar cases regarding missing child were filed and police also filed a report but after the report, it was not known whether those children had been traced and the culprits had been nabbed and punished.
The Superintendent of police should give a detailed account of child missing cases and the action taken by police and the present status.
When the case came up for hearing the couple who had adopted the child said that they had adopted the child legally and they had relevant documents. The Judge directed police to register a case on the basis of the complaint given by Mariammal and subject her and child to DNA test. The judges directed the SP to file a report on Sept one.
