Adoption racket gets messy as couples refuse to return babies
Adoption racket gets messy as couples refuse to return babies
TNN | Dec 2, 2016, 05.55 AM IST
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MYSURU: The impulsive decision of educated childless couples from across Karnataka and Kerala to adopt childrenillegally, has landed them in trouble as Mysuru district police is considering action against them for human trade. The police uncovered an organized child trafficking racket recently.
Private adoption in India is a crime and there are instances where action has been initiated in the form of fines or punishment against parties involved in adoption without the sanctity of government agencies or the law courts.
As per provisions of the Juvenile Justice (care and protection of children) Act 2015, any person who sells or buys children for any purpose is punishable with imprisonment, which may extend up to five years, and will also be liable for a fine of Re 1 lakh. Police have already booked those arrested under this provision.
Adoption is for rehabilitation of orphans, abandoned and surrendered children though proper mechanisms but it has to go through proper channels with government institutions concerned and the local court. But here, all 16 children were sold to couples illegally and without records, after forging birth certificates for a gain.
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Police have, as of now, drafted them as witnesses. Their confessions and statements have been recorded by the judicial magistrate under provisions of the CrPC. Investigation is still under way to rescue two more children - one from the US and another from Mysuru. A child is said to have been shipped to Kenya but this is still being verified. Until now, 16 children, nine of them girls, were rescued by the district police after 11 persons were arrested in this connection. Nanjangud police recently stumbled across a child trafficking ring and investigation led them to unearth the big racket going on for five or six years.
SP Ravi D Channannanavar on Thursday told reporters they're still investigating the case which could be one of the biggest organized rackets of dealing in children in Karnataka. We still don't know how many children have been sold by the gang. We have identified two more, he said.
The district top cop said the couples have been made witnesses and their statements recorded.
Child Welfare Committee chief Sheela Khare said buying and selling children is a crime under the provisions of JJ Act 2015 but it doesn't come within their purview to act. Police have to file cases against both buyer and seller. The children rescued are under the protection of the government at different rehab homes, she stated.
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