The Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) expressed anguish over the case of abduction and sale of an infant and a case of atrocity committed against a child reported in Vijayawada recently.
Recently, two persons kidnapped a four-month-old baby boy from Kondapalli in Krishna district and allegedly sold the infant to a couple in Visakhapatnam a few days ago. Police arrested six persons in the case.
In another incident, a 14-year-old boy, Manikanta Srinivas, was tied to the main gate on the charge that he swam in the pool of a gated community at Ramavarappadu in Vijayawada.
While expressing concern over the two incidents reported in Vijayawada in a span of just five days, Commission Chairman Kesali Appa Rao demanded stern action against the accused in the two cases.
“The manager of the gated community, supervisor, watchman and others were booked for assault on the 14-year-old. The NTR District Police arrested six persons from Visakhapatnam in the case if the sale of an infant and seized about ₹1.80 lakh from their possession,” Mr. Appa Rao said.
The police should inquire on how the mediators came into contact with the infant’s parents, Ramudu and Kotamma, and the childless couple in the Visakhapatnam district and if they resorted to similar offences earlier, the Commission Chairman said on Monday.
The Women Development and Child Welfare, Juvenile Welfare and the Anganwadi workers should create awareness of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the procedure for adopting children through State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA), to prevent the sale of infants.
Staff of Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), Mahila Police, Anganwadi and Asha workers should keep a vigil on the racketeers and suspects at hospitals and in villages, failing which action would be taken against them, Mr. Appa Rao warned.
SCPCR was conducting awareness programmes across the State against the sale of infants, child marriages, child labour, child abuse and drugs, the Chairman said.
