Ludhiana: DNA test reports on rescued child beggars expected next month

If parents still put kids to begging, the draft calls for the parents to be declared unfit guardians and the child shall be sent to children home and the child shall be declared legally free for adoption

Over three weeks after DNA tests were conducted on six rescued child beggars and the adults accompanying them to ascertain parentage, the district administration is still waiting for the report. District child protection officer (DCPO) Rashmi Saini said they have been informed by the competent officials that the reports would be out by September.

District child protection officer Rashmi Saini said they have been informed by the competent officials that the reports would be out by September. (HT Photo)

On July 20, the district administration, under project Jeevanjyot 2.0, raided various areas of the city and rescued 18 kids. While the accompanying adults of 12 kids submitted credible claim of parentage, six were suspected to be cases of child trafficking. These six kids and their accompanying adults were DNA tested on 23 July to ascertain if they shared any biological relation with the kids.

Meanwhile, five of the 12 kids for whom their accompanying adults provided a parentage claim have been handed back to their parents. The parents of the rest of the kids are still submitting the documents and once they are verified the kids will be handed over to them.

“These people hail from far away states. They are taking time to bring documents, like birth certificates, to prove parentage,” said DCPO Rashmi.

Forensic sciences laboratory (Kharar) director, Dr Rajnish, when asked about the time period in which the lab is supposed to produce the DNA reports, he said, “We don’t have any such guidelines. Rules regarding it haven’t been framed yet.”

Meanwhile, the children continue to be lodged at the children’s home in Doraha, waiting for the reports to find out what the future holds for them. The Jeevanjyot 2.0 project draft reads, “If DNA tests match, the child shall be restored to the family. The authorities shall issue a warning to the family to not indulge the child into begging. The DCPO shall provide counselling to the family to enrol the children in schools and about the ill effects of keeping the child on streets.”

If parents still put kids to begging, the draft calls for the parents to be declared “unfit guardians” and “the child shall be sent to children home and the child shall be declared legally free for adoption.”

And if the tests turn out negative, the child welfare committee will initiate legal action by filing an FIR under the BNS, Juvenile Justice Act, Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, or other relevant legislation against the adults found accompanying them.

Additionally, the child’s photos and details will be uploaded on the ‘Track the Child’ portal to trace their biological parents for rehabilitation. DC Himanshu Jain had on 21 July established a committee to ensure the seamless execution of DNA testing after the attempt at DNA testing failed on 21 July due to lack of clarity on guidelines. The committee comprises the district child protection officer, representatives from the police commissioner, and the civil surgeon, tasked with overseeing the DNA testing process under Project Jeevanjot 2.0 to combat child trafficking and exploitation.