Thiruvananthapuram: A baby, who was allegedly taken away without his mother's consent, was handed over to the Kerala State Child Welfare Council (KSCCW), by an Andhra couple that adopted him. He was brought back to Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday night.

The one-year-old boy is presumed to be that of former student activist Anupama S Chandran who raised allegations against her parents for kidnapping her baby soon after his birth and given in adoption through KSCCW without her consent a year ago.

The team, which comprises of a woman official from the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), three police officials, including a lady, returned on Sunday along with the baby.

The child will spend the night at a shelter in Palayam. Thiruvananthapuram Child Protection Officer is in-charge of the child's security. A DNA test would be carried out to identify his biological parents, as per the CWC order which also directed to provide the baby an escort of a Special Juvenile Police Unit during his journey from Andhra.

The CWC order to this effect came out early this week after 22-year-old-mother Anupama sat on an indefinite protest before the Council since last Thursday, demanding the removal of the top office-bearers of the KSCCWC and CWC, who she alleged are behind handing over her baby to the adoptive parents.

The development was a great relief for Anupama and her partner Ajith who are on a stand-in-protest in front of the KSCCW office at Thycaud here for some days demanding to get her baby back.

The woman's allegations of forcible taking away of her new born child by her father, a local CPI(M) leader, has triggered widespread political controversy in the state.

Her allegations against senior party leaders for not helping her in the issue had put the Marxist party leadership in a fix.

The Opposition Congress-UDF even took the issue to the state Assembly and termed it as one of the most heinous "honour crimes" reported in the state.

The government had announced a departmental probe into the incident.

The 24-year-old Anupama had accused her parents of having taken away her new-born child forcibly from her soon after its birth a year ago and alleged that though she had complained about it to the police several times since April, they were reluctant to register a case against the family members.

However, Peroorkkada police here has said a case was registered against six people, including her parents, sister and husband, and father's two friends, and said the delay happened as they were awaiting legal opinion.

A family court last month had stayed the adoption process of the child and directed the police to submit a detailed report in a sealed cover.