A Keralam toddler died hungry. The family’s welfare file had been open since 2022

On October 18, 2-year-old Rahul died in a government hospital at Harippad in Alappuzha due to starvation-induced anaemia. The postmortem revealed that his stomach was empty and his weight was almost half the normal weight for a toddler of his age. The Keralam Women and Child Welfare Department has announced that Rahul's parents, Rajesh T, an autorickshaw driver, and Thara, will lose custody of their remaining five children, with the eldest being 10 years old and the youngest a newborn.

The family's welfare file had been open since 2022 after repeated complaints of neglect. The children, all underweight, will be placed in different care homes and anganwadis while Thara and the newborn will be housed in a state-run women's shelter Mahila Mandiram. The family's dilapidated and disputed property, frequent moves, and lack of proper documentation complicated their access to public services.