Srinagar: Police on Sunday recovered a 24 days-old baby girl who had been “separated forcibly” from her mother by latter’s in-laws.
On August 31, the High Court had ordered police to take action in order to ensure reunion with mother of the girl who was 24-day-old then.
On September 3 respectively, the court asked police to accelerate the investigation and ensure recovery of the baby.
“The baby was born on August 7 and on August 11 she was separated from her mother. The police was directed to trace out the baby by whatever means and handover to the mother,” Superintendent of Police, East Zone, Srinagar, Tanushree told reporters here.
“Raids were carried in almost all districts and around 20 houses were searched to recover the baby and finally the baby was handed over to her mother,” she said, adding, “Five accused, four of whom are in-laws of the woman besides their maid have been arrested.”
After a petition by the girl mother, the court had said that it cannot act as a mute spectator and in the interest of justice felt need for necessary measures to save the life and health of the child.
The court had directed Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, to take all necessary measures to ensure recovery of the female child.
“The SSP and/or the Police team he may assign such duty or may be accompanying him shall be authorised to raid any place and household they may suspect the child has been confined in or kept hidden,” the court had said.
The searching police team was ordered to keep a “magistrate along and available to meet any eventuality or to fulfil any legal formality.”
The team had also been ordered to keep a Paediatrician along and available from Children Hospital, Sonawar, Srinagar, or some other Hospital, depending upon the convenience of the police team for conducting immediate medical check-up of the child on his recovery to assess her health condition, “the trauma she must have physically and mentally suffered and undergone, and ailments, deficiencies or health problems caused to her by lack of breast milk and mother’s care due to her separation from her mother by the private (in-laws).”
The Police had been also asked to make a detailed report accompanied by the medical report of the medical check-up.
The police had been also asked to record the exact time and place of the recovery of the child including the details about whom she is recovered from; in what condition she was kept etc. ( with inputs from GNS)
