Paperless adoption puts cops on child trafficking trail

AHMEDABAD: When a childless couple from Shahpur was seen with a 10-day-old child earlier this week, it surprised many and one such observer informed city police about the incident on Monday. A police team reached Borsalli Apartment in Shahpur and found the child with the couple.

The couple said they had adopted the child from a hospital in Deesa. However, as there were no papers of adoption or government agencies involved, city police decided to take cognizance and approached Banaskantha police. Police detained one person in connection with the case and have started questioning to ascertain if this is a case of human trafficking.

Shahpur police said they got a call on Monday that Hiren Shah, a cloth trader, and his wife, were seen with a child. When police approached the family, they said the 10-day-old infant was adopted on January 21 from Aakash Hospital in Deesa through a man identified as Tinabhai. B J Gadhvi, inspector of Shahpur police station, said they recorded a non-cognizable offence and have sent the child and the case to Deesa for further investigation on Monday.

"The couple have been married for a decade and were trying to adopt a child. In their statement, the family mentioned that they learned about Aakash Hospital through their contacts and approached the officials there. They got a call and went there on January 21 and brought the child home," he said. The family members said that they got the child out of compassion and did not know about the rules. "We are cooperating with police in the probe," said a member of the extended family, who asked not to be identified by name.

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