The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has finally registered a case against Pune based Preet Mandir for allegedly kidnapping rural poor children and selling them abroad.
In its communiqué, the CBI said, "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." According to CBI, further investigation in on in the case.
Earlier in 2005, the CBI had given clean chit to Preet Mandir. However, in 2006 and 2007, two NGOs - Advait Foundation and Sakhi - filed two separate writ petitions in Bombay high court. The Court had asked the investigating agency to once again probe the matter.
In September 2009, CBI admitted before the High Court that its earlier probe was "Faulty".
CBI said that Managing Trustee of Preet Mandir was involved in illegal trafficking of children while he ran the racket from rehabilitation center at Kanhe Phata. Some of the unidentified officials of state government have also come under scanner for helping the Preet Mandir.
According to CBI, these officials were in connivance with the Managing Trustee who managed to traffic the children to the location of his foundation at Pune "avoiding the existing rules with ulterior motives."
As per the modus of Preet Mandir, the Foundation use to obtain fraudulently the rejection slips from Indian parents. These slips were forged with a motive to use these slips to send children for inter-country adoption.
{{/usCountry}}As per the modus of Preet Mandir, the Foundation use to obtain fraudulently the rejection slips from Indian parents. These slips were forged with a motive to use these slips to send children for inter-country adoption.
{{/usCountry}}The foundation has also been charged of extorting 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. "Total 70 instances were detected during 2005-2010 in which he (Managing Trustee of Preet Mandir) charged excess money more than Rs 50,000 from adopting parents. The Managing Trustee used his credit cards to misappropriate orphanage fund for own use to the tune of Rs 25,70,016 during the period 2002-2007.