Aunt from TN Gets Custody of a Kid Who Was Given Adoption in US after Two Years Legal Battle

The atmosphere was emotionally charged when the kith and kin of the kid, who lost his parents in the US, saw him for the first time at the Chennai airport. The kid was able to land on his home soil as his maternal aunt had fought a two-year legal battle in the US court to get his custody. The near and dear ones of the kid accorded a warm welcome to him upon his arrival with his aunt with tears rolling down their cheeks.

Chennai: A couple from Tamil Nadu, who stayed in Mississippi, America, died by suicide in 2022. Before the kin could rescue the child, the American government officially gave the child to a couple from Punjab for adoption. Hence, the child's maternal aunt has sought the help of the US court to get custody of her sister's child.

But, the couple, who adopted the child, also filed a lawsuit in the US court. As the kin of the kid does not know about the appeal in the case investigation, the Tamil Nadu Government's Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Board, Indian Embassy, Tamil Associations and NGOs have provided necessary assistance to them.

Later, the issue was brought to the notice of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin seeking his help. Subsequently, as per the Chief Minister's order, Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Government's Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Board, went to the US and consulted with the Indian Embassy officials, Tamil Associations and legal experts and submitted relevant documents to the US court.

Based on the submission of relevant documents to the court, the US court ordered the child to be handed over to the kin. After a two-year-long legal battle, the two-year-old and his aunt arrived in Tamil Nadu on Monday and were welcomed at the Chennai airport by his relatives with moist eyes.

Abhinaya, who got custody of the child, said, "My sister and brother-in-law lived in Mississippi in the United States, and they died by suicide in May 2022. Therefore, their two-year-old child has been taken into custody by the country's Child Protective Services (CPS).

"Before I could go to the US and rescue the child, the US government had officially given the child for adoption to a Punjabi couple. After this, when I went to America to rescue the child, Dr Swami and Kala Swami, a couple from Coimbatore, took care of me," she narrated.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Government Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Board, Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, came to America and spoke to the Tamil Sangam and volunteers there, who extended their full support to him and provided necessary assistance. "On behalf of our family, we would like to express our gratitude to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for his great help in rescuing my sister's child. I am very happy now," she expressed her gratitude.