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A Jharkhand couple who fled a private hospital in the city after abandoning their newborn at the ICU returned to Kochi on Monday expressing interest to get back the infant. The couple from Lohardaga came back to the city after the Kerala police found them with the help of the Jharkhand police.
The baby girl was born to Mangaleswar and Ranjitha, who were working at a fish farm in Kottayam, on January 29 at the Ernakulam General Hospital. The premature baby was shifted to the private hospital for advanced care. However, the couple later left for Jharkhand without informing hospital authorities.
The government took care of the infant following a Manorama report and the officials named her Nidhi. The infant, who recovered after more than a month-and-a-half of treatment, is now under the care of the Child Welfare Committee. The Ernakulam North Police have registered a case against the parents of the child.
Police said the couple decided to come back to Kochi after seeing their baby on a video call. Both of them were questioned by the North Police on Monday. They were taken to Ernakulam General Hospital and the private hospital where the baby was treated as part of the evidence collection. The hospital staff identified the couple.
According to the police, the couple told them that they left Kerala as they thought the baby was not alive and returned home because they did not have the money to pay the hospital bill. The police’s preliminary inference is that the couple did not abandon the child deliberately. The police said the couple would be released on the condition that they appear before the investigators when called.
The couple has expressed their willingness to take back the baby. They will approach the Child Welfare Committee with the request. The committee will make a decision after considering the police investigation report. They will examine factors, including whether the parents have the capacity to take care of the baby.
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