On October 22, a 22-year-old woman came to the Chevayur Police Station in Kozhikode of Kerala, complaining that her baby had gone missing 12 days after childbirth. It was her husband who abducted the child, the mother said. When the police finally located the child in Sulthan Bathery of Wayanad, a Civil Police Officer called Ramya MR accompanied the team. She was the mother of a one-year-old and reckoned that the lost child might need to be fed. Her insight helped the baby. Ramya was duly honoured by State Police Chief Anil Kant, and appreciated by High Court Judge Devan Ramachandran.
“When we found the baby and took her to a nearby hospital, the doctor said that the child’s sugar level was low. I informed the doctor that I am a feeding mother and asked if I could give the child some breast milk. The doctor agreed,” Ramya says. She is reluctant to give more details, not wanting to take undue credit for what she thought was only humane.
The child’s mother could not accompany the police team to Wayanad since it had only been 12 days since the delivery and she was still too weak to travel. After the childbirth, the mother had wanted to go to her family’s house to recuperate, but the husband’s family said that she couldn’t take the child with her. They took the baby somewhere away, she said in her police complaint. When the police went to the husband’s house, it was found to be locked. His phone too had been switched off, says Shebeeb Rahman, Sub Inspector of Chevayur Station.
“We went to the relatives’ places but it was no use. Late in the afternoon, however, we could trace the tower location of the husband’s phone. It was in Sulthan Bathery, and we alerted the Wayanad police. That’s how the baby was found,” SI Shebeeb adds.
The baby was safely brought back to the mother and has been taken to the Manjeri hospital in Kozhikode. Ramya was later honoured by Anil Kant, and given a commendation certificate. High Court judge Devan Ramachandran who took note of Ramya’s act of kindness had written to Anil Kant, appreciating her initiative. Ramya was also given a certificate of appreciation sent by the Justice, which said that this was the best face of police.