The Madras High Court Bench here witnessed some emotional moments on Wednesday when a woman broke down before two judges and literally begged for assistance in tracing her son, who was allegedly kidnapped from the Yervadi Dargha in Ramanathapuram district when he was three months old in 1996.
Moved by her plight, a Division Bench of Justices P. Murgesen and Raja Elango ordered the Additional Director General of Police, Crime Branch-CID, Chennai, to reopen the ‘child missing’ case closed long ago after being termed “undetected.” The officer was asked to investigate the matter under his personal supervision.
The judges also directed the ADGP to take earnest steps to find out the missing child by March 18 and adjourned a habeas corpus petition (HCP) filed by the 36-year-old woman by a month.
The HCP was filed through the High Court Legal Aid Services Authority after the matter was referred to it by the Ramanathapuram Collector.
The petitioner, B. Vijaya of Ayyadi Mangalam in Kivalur taluk of Ramanathapuram, has been running from pillar to post for the last 13 years in search of her son.
She was once arrested for attempting to self-immolate before the Secretariat in Chennai. She had staged a protest before the Collectorate a few months back.
According to her counsel, R. Alagumani, the male baby was kidnapped when she was sleeping along with him and her daughter on the premises of the Yervadi Dargha on September 20, 1996. She had lodged a complaint with the police suspecting the involvement of four persons.
In his counter affidavit, the Police Inspector concerned claimed that all suspects were interrogated immediately after receiving the complaint. A police team went in search of the baby to Keelakarai, Periapattanam, Sayalgudi, Aruppukottai, Virudhunagar, Karaikudi, Dindigul and Palani.
Wide publicity was given in local dailies specifying the identification marks of the missing baby. The case was transferred to the District Crime Branch on March 3, 1997 as the investigation by the local police did not lead to any useful clue on the whereabouts of the baby.
The DCB too could not trace the baby and hence the case was closed in 1998. It was reopened in 2000 on the basis of a representation given by the petitioner to the then Superintendent of Police. A special police team was also formed. But, this team too failed, and closed the case.
The case was taken up once again in 2003.
“A woman Sub-Inspector of police and a Head Constable were deputed on special duty along with a vehicle. They took the petitioner to all places and enquired with all suspects. The entire interrogation was photographed and recorded on video. All the witnesses denied having known the whereabouts of the child, he said.
