Preet Mandir adoptions: NGOs forward objections to CARA

Representatives of these organisations said documentation of each case should be investigated individually to check whether the consent for adoption is obtained from real biological parents or are forged signatures or their signatures are taken by coercion or deceit.

The objections were forwarded to CARA, principal secretary of Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Indian Council of Social Welfare on Saturday. Advocate Anjali Pawar Kate, director of Sakhi, said, “Considering the involvement of Preet Mandir in criminal activity, including fabrication of paperwork, it is clear that none of its paperwork can be trusted prima facie.” Advait Foundation and Sakhi have urged that either the High Court or CBI must investigate each case to see if the children are kidnapped, he said.

They have requested that it must be checked whether the relinquishment documents are genuine, whether correct procedure has been followed and can the child indeed not be restored to his/her family (in case of abandoned children).

“There are about 5,000 families in India waiting to adopt a child. Despite this, all these 18 children were put for inter-country adoption. It needs to be looked whether all efforts were taken to place the child in India itself. If need be, it must also be checked if the DWCD were to invite local Indian parents for adoption, would an Indian family adopt the child now,” Kate said.

On October 8, the Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice R P Sondur Baldota passed an order directing CARA to process the adoption applications of 18 children in Preet Mandir that were in the pipeline before the adoption agency’s licence was cancelled in May this year. Most of these are inter-country adoptions, including four children with special needs.