'Baby 81' reunited with parents
After waiting for more than seven weeks, the parents of Sri Lanka's "Baby 81" were able to take their baby home after a court reunited them with their son.
The infant was handed over to Murugupillai and Jenita Jeyarajah in a brief court ceremony Wednesday, after which the family left for their temporary home in a camp near the town of Kalmunai, the BBC reported.
On the way to the camp, the couple stopped at a Hindu temple where they broke coconuts to fulfill vows they had made for the baby's return.
DNA test results released Monday confirmed the Jeyarajahs as the parents of the 4-month-old boy, who was found under debris after the Dec. 26 tsunami struck Sri Lanka.
The couple had claimed the baby was their son, Abhilasha, but the court ruled they had to wait to take him until DNA tests could prove his parentage.
After being reunited with his son, Murugupillai Jeyarajah told reporters, "We are very happy, but at the same time feel sad that a lot of people were killed on that day," referring to the nearly 31,000 Sri Lankans killed by the tsunami.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International