J&K: Police reunites infant with mother; five people arrested

On Friday, during the third hearing of the case, Justice Ali Mohammad Magra ordered the police, saying, "The baby has not been rescued yet and most of the respondents are on the run. Realize the importance of this case, the police must step up and rescue the girl before the next hearing."

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir police on Sunday recovered an infant girl from Srinagar and handed over the one-month-old to her mother. The girl was abducted by her father and grandmother three days after her birth.

"The baby has been rescued and handed over to her mother. In addition, five people have been arrested, including her father, grandmother, grandfather and housemaid," Srinagar (East) Superintendent of Police Tanushree told ETV Bharat.

"The detainees claim that the girl's mother was not in a position to take care of the baby properly. That is why they kept the girl with them," She said, adding "..but this is not justified."

Earlier, the court had issued an order to the police on August 31 regarding the early recovery of the girl. However, police said during the last hearing that "efforts are on, two people are on the run but a few have been arrested."

"The court had ordered the police regarding the matter on August 31, after which a case was registered in the police station and investigation was taken up. Raids were carried out at several places but to no avail," the SP said, adding, "It was due to lack of cooperation from the family members. Then some people from family were arrested on Thursday and others were arrested today at around 4 pm."

On Friday, during the third hearing of the case, Justice Ali Mohammad Magra ordered the police, saying, "The baby has not been rescued yet and most of the respondents are on the run. Realize the importance of this case, the police must step up and rescue the girl before the next hearing. "

"The police should take care of the safety of the petitioner woman. The petitioner has claimed that her daughter has been abducted for the purpose of murder. Therefore, it is necessary to provide compensation."

Interestingly, during the first hearing of the case, the court observed that "the court cannot act as a silent spectator and in the interest of justice it is necessary to save the life and health of the girl child."

"Apart from ensuring her (baby's) recovery, it is very important to protect the mother who gave birth to the baby from the traumatic situation," Justice Magray said.

The court passed the order on a petition filed by advocate Areeb Javed Kawoosa at the request of a woman from Jammu, alleging that her daughter, who was born August 7, had been abducted by her in-laws.

The court had directed the senior superintendent of police, Srinagar, to take all necessary steps to ensure the recovery of the girl from her father-in-law by 4.30 pm September 1, 2021. They were authorised to raid places and homes wherever they suspect the girl was hidden.

The court also ordered the police team to be accompanied by a magistrate to take legal action in case of any situation.

"Have a doctor with you from a hospital to take care of the newborn's medical needs. Also, prepare a medical report while mentioning the exact time and place of the child's recovery and the condition of the newborn," the court said.

The court also asked the team to contact the Medical Superintendent of JLNM Hospital, Ranawari to ascertain the weight at birth and compare with the current so as to assess the impact on the child's health in the meantime.