Husbands who are not happy to have a girl child are equally responsible for female infanticide, the Madras High Court observed on Tuesday.
Dismissing a bail petition filed by Nagamani of Dhamapuri district, who allegedly committed female infanticide, Justice P. Devadas said: “The child has not committed any sin. Its only sin is that it was born as a female child.”
Pointing out that most of the Plus-Two top rankers are from Dharmapuri district, the judge said: “The sorry state of affairs is that there is a high rate of female infanticide in the district. It seems Dharmapuri people do not like female children.”
Narrating a scene from the film Karuthamma, in which a newborn female baby was killed by orally administering the Cactus plant extracts, he said: “Nipping the female child in the bud” was happening in villages.
“It is nothing but murder. Even educated people are doing it. Dharmapuri and Madurai districts are notorious for this kind of activity. The female children are sold for money.
Illegal adoptions“Large-scale illegal adoptions are reported in Dharmapuri district. Nowhere in the world except in India, more particularly in Dharmapuri district, are infants being killed by administering the Cactus plant extracts and slitting the throat. In this type of cases, only and mainly females are being made accused,” he said.
The judge said the Nagamani’s case should serve as a warning to Dharmapuri people.
“In the fight against infanticide, revenue and police authorities should play a vital role. Simply registering an FIR is not enough.”
He also directed the Principal District Judge, Dharmapuri, who is the Chairman of the District Legal Services Authority, to take steps to conduct legal literacy camps against female infanticide in villages where it was more rampant.
