Kanchipuram: A couple from Andhra Pradesh discovered that their nine-year-old son had died months earlier while working under a tenancy agreement in Venpakkam near Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.
According to police, Prakash Enathi and his wife Angammal, residents of Gudur in Andhra Pradesh, had borrowed Rs 15,000 from another couple, Muthu and Dhanapakiyam, who belong to the Sathyavedu area. As part of an informal agreement to repay the debt, Prakash sent his young son Venkatesh to herd ducks for 10 months under the care of Muthu and his family.
Police said that Muthu, his wife Dhanapakiyam, and their son Rajasekhar had been residing in Venpakkam and rearing ducks in the region. About a month ago, Venkatesh fell seriously ill with jaundice and was admitted to a private hospital. Despite receiving treatment, the boy died. Police said that Muthu and his family buried the child's body near the Palar River without informing his parents.
Prakash and Angammal travelled to Kanchipuram to bring their son home when the agreed tenancy period ended. To their horror, Muthus family refused to reveal the child's whereabouts and instead demanded more money. Sensing something was wrong, the grieving parents lodged a complaint at the Sathyavedu police station.
Police said that during interrogation, Muthu and his family admitted the boy had died and been buried secretly. Acting on this confession, police teams led by the Puttur DSP Ravukumar and Kanchipuram Taluka police recovered the body on May 21. It was sent to Chengalpattu Government Hospital for post-mortem.
Police said that they are now reviewing CCTV footage from the private hospital in Venpakkam to verify the cause of death. The Kanchipuram Taluka police continue investigating the case, which has raised concerns about child labour.
