Minister seeks report over ‘goof-up’ in Pratigya’s case

Ludhiana: A few days after TOI reported the plight of 10-year-old Pratigya and her parents, who have been struggling to get her

custody for the past one year due to official apathy, social security and women & child development minister Aruna Chaudhary

on Friday sought a detailed report into the matter.

The minister also sought an explanation from the district child protection officer (DCPO) on the issue.

In its news reports published in these columns earliar this week, TOI had highlighted how Pratigya’s parents Gopal and Hema,

from Jugiyana village in Ludhiana, who hadn’t even met her for the past one year since she went missing on May 11, 2018.

Although Daba police had found her the very next day and handed her over to the district child protection office, DCPO Rashmi

had failed to trace her parents and instead got her adopted to an Ahmadabad-based couple.

After staying with her adoptive parents for a few months, Pratigya told them about her native place and biological parents.

Thereafter, the couple handed Pratigya back to DCPO office in March this year. But the DCPO had sent Pratigya to a childcare

home in Mullanpur. Since then, Gopal and Hema have been running from one office to another to get custody of their daughter.

Confirming the development, Chaudhary said she has sought the report and asked the official to explain as to how she could

not trace the girl’s biological parents. “The matter has come to my knowledge. I have asked officials to give me a report on the

matter. Besides, I have also sought a report as to why the DCPO, Ludhiana, could not trace the family of missing child from

same city. The DCPO has also been asked to share details about the efforts to help parents of Pratigya in getting her custody,”

she said.

The minister said she has been informed that the process for the annulment of adoption and restoration of the child to her

biological parents has been speeded up and the documentation work was being done on priority.

On July 16, the department of social security and development of women and children had taken up the case with Central

Adoption Resource Agency (CARA), Delhi.

The department’s top officials had written to the department of social justice, Gujarat, and programme manager in the state,

asking as to why adoptive parents were reluctant in filing a case with the court to withdraw adoption of their daughter.

Raji P Srivasta, principal secretary, social security and development of women and children, who is also the chairperson of

Punjab State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, had said, “Our team is on the job to get things done quickly as per

the law.”

Shelly Mittal, programme manager, State Adoption Regulatory Authority, had said, “As per the Juvenile Justice Act, the adoptive

parents have to approach the court only after which the child can be handed over to her biological parents. We have written to

the authority concerned in Gujarat, asking them to find out why adoptive parents are not pursuing the case with the court.

Besides, CARA has also been informed about the case.” She had said, “We will give adoptive parents a week to start the

process, else we will take a decision in the best interest of the child.”

Meanwhile, the development has come as a big relief for Pratigya’s parents. “We are waiting for Pratigya’s return. We are

hopeful now and want this wait to end soon,” said Pratigya’s mother Hema.

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