'Baby 81' back with parents after tsunami, court battle

KALMUNAI, Sri Lanka -- Sporting a mark on his forehead to ward off evil, the infant known for two months as "Baby 81" was handed over Wednesday to his joyous parents, who had fought for custody ever since the tsunami tore him from his mother's arms.

Four-month-old Abilass, whose name is rooted in the Sanskrit word for aspiration or desire, changed hands from a doctor to his smiling mother, Jenita Jeyarajah, 25, during a brief session in a packed courtroom.

"Look how happy he is! He knows the scent of his parents," exclaimed the father, Murugupillai Jeyarajah. "After returning to us, he still hasn't cried."

Hours after the Dec. 26 tsunami struck the eastern Sri Lanka village, the infant was found by a neighbor on a beach among bodies and debris and taken to a hospital. Doctors dubbed him "Baby 81" because he was the day's 81st admission, and nurses put a black "mottu" on his forehead to ward off evil.

Eight other grieving, distraught women initially claimed him, but only the Jeyarajahs went to court.

The Jeyarajahs lost their family records when their home was swept away by the tsunami, and the hospital refused to release the baby until the matter was settled in court. DNA tests showed the baby was their son.

On Wednesday, the judge declared the couple to be the boy's parents, apologized for the inconvenience and wished a prosperous future for Abilass, who wore blue clothes and a pink cap.

From the court, the family went to a Hindu temple to give thanks for their son's return and smash coconuts in ritual fulfillment of a vow. Relatives joined them, chanting prayers and raising their hands in worship as the father carried the child around the shrine before traveling to another temple.

The relieved parents also visited the rubble of their home, where the raging waters had torn the boy from his mother's arms on Dec. 26.

Later Wednesday, the Jeyarajahs reached their temporary residence -- a one-story house where Jenita's aunt lives with her family. The baby was put in a small cot on the tiled floor of the living room, while the parents entertained a sea of visitors.

"I want to teach my child well and bring him up as any other parents would," Murugupillai said, cradling the boy in his arms. He said he planned to stay with Abilass for a few days before returning to work as a barber.

The excitement was too much for Murugupillai's father, 60-year-old Sinnaphurai, who fainted in the courtroom and had to be taken to the same hospital where his grandson had stayed.