A one-and-a-half-year-old boy was rescued from Kaloor by Childline, police, and the child welfare committee (CWC) after his parents, aged around 24, were found to be mostly under the influence of drugs and unable to ensure his safety.
Rescue Operation on Monday
The rescue was carried out on Monday after Childline received a tip-off that the mother was feeding the baby allegedly under the influence of drugs. The mother is reportedly from Ottapalam, while the father, hailing from Malappuram, is a history-sheeter in ganja peddling cases.
A Childline source said the couple had been staying in a hotel since they arrived in Ernakulam two months ago.
Details of the Incident
When officials reached the hotel, the father was standing outside the room and the mother was inside a locked room. After much persuasion, she opened the door, and the father tried to leave after collecting his belongings. The mother also attempted to leave the room where the baby was sleeping. As officials began collecting their details, the couple engaged in a war of words and hurled abuses at each other, forcing officials to intervene and state they would take the baby to Childline. When the husband left the room, the mother followed him but returned soon and remained inside. When the baby woke, the woman refused to feed him.
Later, officials collected drinking water from hotel staff to feed the baby. The staff reported that the couple frequently quarreled and beat the child. Childline took custody of the baby in the presence of the woman and another man, using whose identity the couple had rented the room. After presenting the child before the CWC, he was shifted to a rescue home.
Parents' Behavior After Rescue
The couple later reached the CWC office in Kakkanad and threatened officials before hurling abuses at Childline staff. A source said, 'We are convinced that the couple is currently not fit to ensure the child's safety. Moreover, the father left the room and the mother expressed unwillingness to take care of the baby. That's why we took custody. When the woman later called asking for the baby's return, we asked them to come with relatives. But she said she was not on terms with relatives.'
