The Tamil Nadu government has assured all support including legal and diplomatic help through the Centre, in bringing home a two-year-old boy, orphaned due to his parents death, in the US.

A senior government official said on Wednesday that Chief Minister M K Stalin has directed the officials to pursue the issue through the Union External Affairs Ministry and ensure the early return of the lad, now in the care of his neighbour.

The boy’s parents were found dead in Mississippi in May last year and since then his aunt and grandparents have been struggling to get custody of the lad.

The issue came to light after the boy’s aunt drew the government’s attention for the legal custody of the child. Following this, State Minorities Welfare and Non Residents Tamil Welfare Gingee K S Masthan instructed the Tamil Nadu Nor Residents Tamil Welfare Board to take steps to extend a hand of support to the family from Madurai.

Accordingly, the Board’s chairman Karthikeya Sivasenapathy convened a consultative meeting with the state officials and representatives from the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America, in Tennessee, recently, on the next plan of action.

“The meeting discussed how to approach the issue legally as the boy is US citizen by birth,” the officials told PTI. The State government would also be pursuing the issue through the Indian External Affairs Ministry, he added.

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