The State Police on Tuesday arrested two former office-bearers of the Kerala State Child Welfare Council (KSCWC) on the suspicion of corruption in adoption process in the 2010-14 period. They were identified as former KSCWC president Sunil C. Kurien and vice president Chempazhanthy Anil.
They were produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate court on the charges of corruption, forgery, cheating and use of forged documents as genuine ones.
he court remanded them in judicial custody till August 9.
The prosecution case was that the suspects had illegally helped wealthy couples, including one from Jordan, to adopt orphaned children under the care of the council through an opaque process and for possible backhander payments.
Seniority bypassed
The police told the court that accused had bypassed the order of seniority for adoption to accord undue advantage to wealthy persons.
The prosecution also accused the suspects of facilitating backdoor appointments, fudging records and issuing bogus membership to retain their hold over the council.
Crime Branch probe
The State government had ordered a Crime Branch inquiry into allegations following the receipt of an internal inquiry report that pointed to corruption. A special executive meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, who is the ex-officio president of the council, had requested the State Police Chief last year to constitute a special team to probe the suspected irregularities.
The subsequent police inquiry also unearthed corruption in the printing and sale of Children’s Day stamps.
