Daijiworld Media Network - Alappuzha

Alappuzha, Oct 19: The Keralam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has registered a case following the death of a two-year-old boy in a suspected case of malnutrition at his home in Haripad, Alappuzha district.

The boy was found dead on Sunday, following which the Child Welfare Committee took the surviving children in the family into its care.

Commission member TC Jalaja Mol initiated proceedings on Monday based on media reports about the incident. The commission has sought explanations from the District Medical Officer, the secretary of Karthikappally gram panchayat, the District Child Protection Officer and the panchayat's Integrated Child Development Services supervisor.

State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the family belonged to his constituency and that he had taken note of the incident.

“If any assistance needs to be provided from the government's side, we are ready to provide it. I have sent people there, including the concerned tahsildar. After examining it, they have been asked to provide a report,” he told reporters.

According to police, the child was reportedly severely anaemic and appeared malnourished. His weight was recorded at 7.6 kg, significantly below the approximately 12 kg expected for a child of his age, Press Trust of India reported.

The boy's father, an autorickshaw driver, lives with his wife and children in Karthikappally. The couple has five other children, including a newborn, while another child had died earlier, officials said.

The mother was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital at Vandanam on Saturday for childbirth, leaving the children at home with their father. The father discovered the two-year-old dead on Sunday morning.

The commission's investigation is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the child's death and the family's welfare, including whether adequate medical care and support were available.