Parents threaten to sue State

Parents threaten to sue State

 

Hyderabad, Jan. 16: Foreign adoptive parents are threatening to sue the State government if the children

promised to them are not handed over to them immediately, even as the Minister indicated that the State

government could halt foreign adoptions hereafter.

 

A couple from the US, Angelique and Daniel William Hatch, served a legal notice on Child Welfare Minister S

Saraswati stating that Zuleika, who as 'relinquished' to Precious Moments and promised to them for adoption, be

handed over immediately.

 

It is learnt that Angelique broke down in front of the Minister seeking possession of the child. "I have not

promised them anything. I only said the government would look into the matter and take an appropriate decision,"

Saraswati said.

 

The Hatches and another US couple, the Paul Johns, met Women Development and Child Welfare Director Shalini

Mishra to pressure her to send the children along with them. Both the cases were dealt by Crossroads Adoption

Services in the US.

 

The notice to the Minister, served through local advocate Ahmed Razvi, said the Family Court had cleared the

adoption (OP No. 781/2001) after the Central Adoption Resource Agency had issued a No-Objection Certificate.

 

They were to be given possession of Zuleika on January 15, but the Guild of Child Services, the authorised

agency for sending the children, refused to send her stating she was anaemic and unable to travel.

 

The specious plea, it appears, conjured up following the exposé by Deccan Chronicle and the subsequent

intervention of the National Human Rights Commission.

 

Inquiries revealed that 10-month- old Zuleika was 'relinquished' by her parents to Precious Moments. She was

subsequently proposed for adoption to the Hatches and Cara gave the NOC.

 

After the adoption racket was exposed in April last, the child was shifted to Shishu Vihar. The Johns were

supposed to adopt Pooja, brought to them by Precious Moments through Indian Council of Social Welfare. Pooja's

adoption was also cleared by Cara and later by the Family Court. The family already has three children.

 

The minister said the decision on all pre-April adoption cases - whether cleared by family court or otherwise -

would be taken in a couple of days, after discussions with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. "There will be no

more foreign adoptions hereafter," she said.