DNA confirms couple are parents of Baby 81

DNA test results showed today that a baby boy found in the debris of the Indian Ocean tsunami belongs to the couple who launched a heart-wrenching court battle for his custody.

“It has been confirmed that the baby belongs to that couple,” court official Mohammed Nazir said.

“We are about to issue notice to the parents and the hospital summoning them to court on Wednesday.”

The finding was based on last week’s court-ordered DNA test of the couple and the boy, nicknamed “Baby 81”. It ended eight weeks of uncertainty and drama surrounding the infant, who became a symbol of families torn apart by the Boxing Day tsunami.

Eight couples had originally claimed the boy at the hospital in Kalmunai, 185 miles east of the capital, Colombo. But Jenita and Murugupillai Jeyarajah were the only couple to file a formal custody claim.

They could not document the claim, saying the tsunami swept away their home and family records, and the court ruled that the baby must stay in the hospital under DNA tests could confirm his parentage.