Stay-at-home father for baby rescued from Odisha capital

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Oct 14:

Two days after a four-year-old girl was rescued by Ruchika Childline and Mancheswar police from the confines of her home in Odisha capital, Bhubaneswar Child Welfare Committee today made alternate arrangements for her wherein her father would act as the stay-at-home parent.

As per the new arrangement, the minor girl will live with her paternal grandparents and her father in Balasore. The father will quit his job and be a stay-at-home parent for his daughter as the mother is a working woman employed at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar.

In the short run, a city based shelter home has been tasked with taking care of the girl where she continues to stay since her rescue.

The parents will need to submit an affidavit with the assurance that her responsibility will be borne by them and that she will not be neglected further in order to get her released from the shelter home. Besides, her release also depends upon the approval of the affidavit.

Notably, the girl was rescued on Monday from a house at Kalarahanga under Mancheswar police station limits based on complaint by a neighbour. The mother, who works in a private hospital in the city, used to leave for her workplace by locking the girl in the house. She used to open the door after returning from work every evening.

The 30-year-old mother continued with this practice for the past seven months, till a neighbour heard the child crying and reported the matter to the CWC Monday afternoon. Following this, the CWC officials and local police rushed to the spot to rescue the child after getting formal approval from Additional District Magistrate (ADM).

A written complaint was filed against the parents at a local police station yesterday for alleged negligence in the care and compromising security of the child due to confinement.