Mother refuses to hand over newborn baby amid child death controversy

Authorities are facing difficulties regarding the care of a newborn baby following the death of a 2.5-year-old child due to malnutrition in Haripad. The difficulty arose after the mother, who is part of the Thara family, stated she would not hand over the baby to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The CWC had previously decided to take custody of the newborn, considering the family's history of previous child deaths and neglect. The CWC is currently examining legal possibilities to issue a temporary order to take the child's custody based on the District Child Protection Officer's social investigation report.