Abandoned by kin, Devaraj will be moved to adoption centre

Hubballi: Almost a month after he was found playing beside his dead parents at Munirabad railway station, 3-year-old Devaraj will be shifted to an adoption in a couple of days.
The decision follows the Gadag child protection committee's inability to convince the child's relatives to take him home. The committee tried to convince the relatives about it but none of them even attended a meeting about this issue.
Bharati Shettar, district child protection officer, Gadag, told TOI: "After taking Devaraj into our custody, we tried to convince his relatives to take him home.We convened a meeting on September 1 to discuss his future. Surprisingly, none of the relatives turned up and they refused to take him. We continued our efforts to convince the relatives. As a last-ditch effort, we convened another meeting on September 15. None of the relatives attended the meeting and it's clear they aren't keen on taking the boy home."
Devaraj is now at the children's home run by the child and women development department. "After getting the death report of his parents, we'll make arrangements to shift him to the adoption centre. Once there, he'll be legally free for adoption," she said.
Devaraj was rescued from Munirabad railway station in Koppal district on August 22. Police identified his parents as Iranna Talwar, 50, and Manjula, 40, of Gadag. It was the second marriage for both Iranna and Manjula and the couple faced opposition from their families. Iranna worked in a private college as a driver, but had to quit the job after sustaining severe injuries in an accident. He ran a small tea shop in Gadag for a few months.
After performing their last rites, the child protection committee had requested Iranna's first wife to take Devaraj home, but she refused, citing poverty and three grown-up children at home.