Illegal adoption case: Karnal police recover baby, Meerut couple held

More than a week after registration of FIR of illegal adoption, the Karnal police have arrested the Meerut-based couple for illegally adopting a four-days-old baby in September last year and the baby was rescued from them

More than a week after registration of FIR of illegal adoption, the Karnal police have arrested the Meerut-based couple for illegally adopting a four-days-old baby in September last year and the baby was rescued from them.

About the arrest of the Meerut-based doctor and his wife who have also been booked by the police in the case, the SP said that the decision about their arrest will be taken after they join the probe. (AFP)

Police said the baby was recovered on Friday, hours after the couple from Meerut was detained for illegally adopting the baby.

Karnal superintendent of police (SP) Ganga Ram Punia said the baby was handed over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the Meerut couple was arrested on kidnapping and illegal adoption charges.

About the arrest of the Meerut-based doctor and his wife who have also been booked by the police in the case, the SP said that the decision about their arrest will be taken after they join the probe.

Karnal CWC chairman Umesh Chanana said the baby has been sent to Bal Bhawan and now the mother will have to move court for custody of the child. The baby will be handed over to her only after tests confirm that she is the real mother.

On the other hand, the mother of the child, Jyoti (28), has demanded that her baby be handed over to her without further delay.

“My baby is just nine-months-old, who will have to live in the orphanage as my application for his custody was not accepted,” Jyoti said.

THE CASE

On February 2, Jyoti had filed a complaint with the Karnal police accusing a Meerut-based doctor and his wife of not returning her baby and allegedly taking him away on pretext of treatment on September 18, last year.

The Karnal SP handed over the investigation to protection officer Rajni Gupta and as per findings of the investigation, on June 15, the Karnal police had booked the Meerut-based doctor couple under Sections 363, 368, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 34 of the IPC and Sections 80 and 81 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

In the investigation, it was found that the baby was taken by Vishal Shrivastav and his wife Neha. An affidavit was also provided by the accused claiming that Jyoti had allegedly handed over her baby to the couple.

The protection officer said repeated attempts were made to contact the doctor for his statement but he did not join the investigation. Later, Vishal had appeared before her and handed over the documents, including an affidavit claiming that Jyoti had given consent.

But the allegations were denied by Jyoti and she had requested the police to bring her baby back from the couple.