Kalamassery: A major breakthrough in the fake birth certificate case linked to the Ernakulam Government Medical College Hospital has been achieved with the arrest of the main accused A Anil Kumar from his hideout in Tamil Nadu.
The investigation team has informed the Court that evidence including the handwriting and signature of Administrative Assistant A Anil Kumar (53), the accused arrested in the case, must be collected and sent for scientific examination.
The accused has received aid from others to create the fake certificate. The accused must be taken into custody and interrogated to find the others involved. The police, in the remand report, clarified that the accused had confessed to making the fake birth certificates for financial gain.
On Monday, the police team will file a request seeking custody of Anil Kumar who is currently remanded to judicial custody.
The second accused in the case, A N Rehna has not been arrested yet.
Remand report
The remand report says: An unmarried woman, a native of Pathanamthitta and living in a rented place in Aluva, had given birth to a baby girl on August 27, 2022. After a week, on the day she was discharged from the hospital, she handed over the baby to a couple from Thripoonithara whom she knew, according to her own will.
Anoop Kumar, who was taking care of the baby approached Anil Kumar, a staff with the Medical Superintendent’s office at the College to ready a birth certificate. Though an attempt was made to change the data in the original birth certificate on October 6, it was not successful. Later, the birth registration form from the labour room was procured with the help of another staff named Sivan, saying it is to be taken to the Superintendent’s office.
Anil Kumar added the fake details of the parents, the delivery, the doctor’s name and the signature in the registration form. On February 1, this form was uploaded to the website with the help of the second accused A N Rehna and completed the online birth registration. Then, the fake certificate was handed over to Anoop Kumar.
Anil Kumar and Rehna together added the fake data to the Birth Register at the Medical Records Department. When they attempted to add the data to the birth despatch register in the labour room, the nurse found out that such a birth had not happened.
The Medical Superintendent who came to know of it enquired with the staff and concluded that a fake certificate has been created. Superintendent informed the Medical College Principal. The Principal officially made a complaint on which the investigation is on.
Stay on adoption procedures
The biological mother of the baby has requested the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to protect the baby at the Child Protection Centre for now. The mother informed she is presently not in a position to take care of the baby. Meanwhile, she has not informed her willingness to let the baby up for adoption.
CWC chairman K K Shaju said that the adoption procedures have been stayed temporarily in this situation.
An inquiry would be conducted to find out why the mother is not in a position to take care of the baby, after which the follow-up actions would be initiated, Shaju added.