A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday told Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner to arrange immediate medical care for an infant suffering from severe liver cirrhosis.
The bench told the police to seek assistance of Childline or the Child Welfare Committee for due implementation of the court order.
This came after Basheer, father of the nine-month-old girl approached the court alleging that his wife (mother of the child) and his father-in-law were risking the infant’s life.
The Hindu reported acting on a habeas corpus petition filed by Basheer, the Bench comprising Justice C.K. Abdul Rahim and Shaji P. Chaly gave the order observing that the life of child was in danger.
Doctors at KIMS hospital in the city had advised a liver transplant for the child soon after her parents fell out of their marriage and lived separately. The follow-up examination of the baby had revealed that her liver function had deteriorated and she had developed “decompensated cirrhosis of the liver.”
The court also directed the hospital authorities to admit the child and take all necessary follow up actions to save her life.
The court had earlier directed a SI to inquire Basheer’s allegations and ascertain if any treatment was being provided to the baby, investigations revealed that the infant was being denied treatment.
Following which the court directed the State Bank of Travancore Branch in Thiruvananthapuram to submit a report regarding the availability of funds in the accounts of the wife and father-in-law of the petitioner and restrained the bank from allowing any withdrawal from those accounts.
Basheer had previously alleged in court that although he deposited a fee of Rs.5,000 for getting a prospective donor and another Rs.3 lakh, which he received from the CM’s Relief Fund, the mother of the child did not co-operate.
He further alleged that his estranged wife and father-in-law collected money from people in the garb of treating the baby.