The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has registered a case against the parents of an 11-month-old girl who was sent on a solo parasailing trip on the Muzhuppilangad beach in Kannur on Wednesday afternoon. The act, which has now been termed as cruel by rights activists and legal experts, was staged in the presence of the Superintendent of Police, Kannur district.
Spectators said that the girl, Niya Nissam, had been crying aloud as she soared from the beach after her parents launched her on parasailing. The girl’s mother rushed to pick her up as she was about to land after sailing alone for several minutes. Relatives of the girl told the media that she had received a month’s training in parasailing which police officials refused to believe.
Police Superintendent PN Unniraja said he had asked the organisers not to put the child into parasailing, but spectators said they did not believe his claim. It was Unniraja who inaugurated the event organised by a private firm, Malabar Aerosports Society. He said the police were looking into the matter but the organisers said there was no legal provision to ban the event.
Niya, who was sent on forced parasailing was the granddaughter of one of the office-bearers of the society. The organisers said that the child was sent on solo parasailing with the consent of the parents but legal experts said that putting such a small child to such traumatic experience was violation of provisions of the Child Rights Act.
S Sreejith, Deputy Inspector General of Police, State Human Rights Commission, said the statements of the parents on the event would be recorded immediately. He also said that that the commission would examine whether the girl had suffered any trauma. Sources in the police said the act was illegal even if it was carried out with the consent of the parents.