Class IV student brutally tortured; father and stepmother arrested; Minister Sivankutty to meet victim today

CHARUMMOODU (ALAPPUZHA): The police have taken into custody the absconding father Ansar and stepmother Shefina in connection with the brutal torture of a class IV student. Ansar was arrested from Kadamankulam in Pathanamthitta and Shefina from Chakkuvally in Kollam yesterday under the leadership of Chengannur DySP M.K. Binukumar.

Nooradu CI Sreekumar said that Ansar, who tried to escape on Wednesday after learning that the police had registered a case, tried to attack his father, who lives in a nearby family house, with a pickaxe. Ansar is an accused in drug cases.

Meanwhile, the temporary custody of the class IV student who was brutally abused by her stepmother and father has been handed over to her father's mother. The Child Welfare Committee's order was received by Athikkattukulangara Poovannamthathil Rasiya, the grandmother of the child, at the Cherthala Juvenile Home. Minister V Sivankutty will meet the child today.

The Child Rights Commission, which took suo motu cognizance of the incident, directed the District Child Welfare Officer and Nooradu CI to submit a report within seven days. Child Welfare Committee Chairperson Adv. B. Vasantha Kumari Amma went to the house of relative in Thamarakulam where the child lives and spoke to her in person. Although she was compelled to move to a juvenile home, the child expressed her desire to stay with her grandmother.

The child and her parents lived in the family home until a year and a half ago. The child said that she slept alone in the downstairs bedroom of the new two-story house and was scared at night. The mother died seven days after giving birth to the child.