Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM has announced a probe into the role of PS Jayachandran, father of former student activist Anupama S Chandran, in the adoption row.
The party also constituted a three-member panel to probe the incident. Jayachandran has been banned from attending party programmes until the panel, comprising area committee members Vattappara Biju, Velayudhan Nair and Jaipal, completed the inquiry.
The decision to constitute a panel was made at a CPM area committee meeting, attended by CPM district secretary Anavoor Nagappan. Considering Jayachandran's explanation before the local committee, the party decided against initiating immediate action against him.
Jayachandran is the prime accused in the case pertaining to separating his daughter Anupama's newborn from her and giving it up for adoption. He is the state treasurer of Kerala Cooperative Employees Union.
The meeting, chaired by CPM district secretariat member KC Vikraman, was also attended by Baby, the father of Anupama's partner Ajith Kumar.
It has been alleged that Anupama's parents had taken away her three-day-old baby born out of wedlock in October 2020 and handed him over to the Child Welfare Panel, which gave him to a couple seeking to adopt a child. Ajith, a divorcee, was a former local leader of the CPM and its youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). Anupama's parents had been opposed to her relationship with him. She gave birth to a child when in a relationship with Ajith. Anupama alleged it was done without her knowledge or consent, and the authorities failed to act on her complaint for six months.
CPM area committee secretary Rajlal said the probe panel was constituted since the party could not reach a conclusion based on Jayachandran's explanation and media reports. Action would be initiated against Jayachandran based on the probe report recommendation.
The setting up of the panel has been viewed as a party move to protect Jayachandran till the issue loses steam.
Anupama, who welcomed the CPM decision to keep her father away from party functions, however was not keen on the party probe.
Couple depose
Meanwhile, Women and Child Development department director TV Anupama recorded the statements of the child's parents, Anupama and her partner. The recording of statements, which took four hours, was part of the probe the State government had announced.
The government has also informed a Family Court here to submit the probe report by October 30.
Govt receives legal advice
The government has received legal advice that the adoption row could be settled in the Family Court with the Woman and Child Development Directorate, the State Adoption Resources Authority (SARA), submitting that the baby was handed over in adoption in the belief that he was an abandoned child.
The court has not yet decided to give the child permanently to adoptive parents, reportedly a teacher couple in Andhra Pradesh, and the issued need not be taken to higher courts.
The child could be returned, if he is Anupama's child, only after stalling the adoption process.
