Parentage verified: Mentally-challenged boy returns home

Police prove 15-year-old boy’s identity by questioning neighbours.

MIRPUR:

The mentally-challenged boy whose parentage was under dispute has been sent to his rightful home. The Thothal police verified the 15-year old boy’s parentage by questioning neighbours of the initial complainant, Muhammad Rasheed, in Jarole Kalan locality of Haripur village, Azad Kashmir.

Investigation officer Inspector Sikander-e-Azam told The Express Tribune that to it was decided that to prove the boy’s identify he will be taken to the areas of residence of both the claimant parties — Rasheed and an Afghan refugee Noor Khan.

He said that when he took the boy to Rasheed’s area of residence, almost all local residents and neighbours recognised him. He said the locals and elders of the village identified the boy as Kamran and confirmed that he went missing a few days back. They told him that after the boy went missing, Rasheed anxiously searched for him.

Inspector Azam said that after witnessing the locals’ claims, Noor Khan, a resident of Kabul who lives in an Afghan refugee camp in Chandral, withdrew his claim of kinship with the boy.

The police, however, did not take any action against Khan.

Earlier, the Thothal police had decided to conduct a DNA relationship test to validate paternity claims of both the complainants. The police had warned that if any party had been found to be deceiving the police, stern action will be taken against them.

The boy was recovered from a refugee camp in Chandra on Tuesday on the request of the original complainant, Rasheed, who had filed a report with the police of about the missing of his son, Kamran, who he claimed is mentally challenged by birth.

The case took a new turn after when the Afghan refugee, Khan, from whose custody the child was recovered, claimed he is the real father of the child. He claimed that child’s name is Khushaal Khan, who went missing two years back.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2012.