Pune-based NGO official charged with child trafficking

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against a senior official of Pune-based non-governmental organisation Preet Mandir for alleged kidnapping and illegal trafficking of children of poor parents abroad in the guise of adoption.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against a senior official of Pune-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Preet Mandir for alleged kidnapping and illegal trafficking of children of poor parents abroad in the guise of adoption.

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The agency registered the case against the managing trustee J S Bhasin of Pune-based Balwinder Kartar Foundation also known as Preet Mandir and other unknown persons on the directions of Bombay High Court, official sources said.

"It is alleged that during the period 2002 to 2010, the Managing Trustee of Pune-based foundation entered into criminal conspiracy with unknown persons and kidnapped the children of poor people in Maharashtra with a motive to send them in inter-country adoption to extort huge money from the adopting parents," CBI spokesperson said in New Delhi on Monday.

The agency alleged that the person was also involved in the illegal trafficking of children and, for this purpose, he opened a rehabilitation centre at Kanhe Phata area.

The person fraudulently obtained the Indian rejection slips from parents of the children and forged them to send children for inter-country adoption, the spokesperson alleged.

Bhasin allegedly extorted money from Indian parents for adoption in the form of donation whereas there is a prescribed amount upto Rs 25,200 which can be claimed, sources said.

"A total 70 instances were detected during 2005-2010 in which he charged excess money of more than Rs 50,000 from adopting parents. He also misappropriated the orphanage fund for his own use to the tune of Rs 25,70,016 during the period 2002-2007 by using his personal credit card," spokesperson said.

The spokesperson alleged unknown officials of the Government of Maharashtra were also in connivance with the managing trustee, trafficking the children to the location of his foundation at Pune, avoiding the existing rules with ulterior motives.