FIR filed against adoptive parents for abusing child
BHOPAL: Childline filed an FIR against a couple at Shahpura police station (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Shahpurapolice-station) on Friday, after a boy they are in the process of adopting complained of assault. He also alleged that the couple
made him do household chores and treated him like a servant.
The boy, aged around 8-10 years, was brought to Bhopal after a couple from the city adopted him from an adoption centre from
Patna (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Patna) in Bihar (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/bihar). The boy alleged
that his adoptive parents treated him badly, using abusive words to address him. Childline, along with Madhya Pradesh
(https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/madhya-pradesh) State Commission for Protection of Child Rights are investigating
the matter.
According to sources, the couple got custody of the boy from the adoption agency in 2017 but did not complete the full
adoption process, even after two years since they took him.
The boy fled a few days back and went to a neighbour’s house, who informed Childline. The adoptive parents of the boy do
odd jobs at a gas agency in Bhopal.
“In his statement, the boy said that he was being mistreated by his adoptive parents. He also alleged that his mother used to
make him do all household chores such as washing clothes, cleaning the house and doing the dishes. He also didn’t go to
school”, said Archana Sahaye, director of Childline, Bhopal.
“The boy alleged that his parents threw him out of the house in an underwear when he was found by the neighbour, who gave
him clothes to wear. He also alleged that his mother used to verbally abuse him,” said Sahaye.
The boy was given shelter at the Chidline office in TT Nagar for two days before being shifted to SOS child village.
Meanwhile, a CWC member told TOI that the child ran away from home after his adoptive mother scolded him for soiling his
clothes. “The child is highly intelligent and the parents told CWC that he used to steal from their house and played cards with
the neighbourhood goons. He had run away once before when he was handed back to them by the Habibganj SHO. The
parents also said that the boy was badly behaved and they only scolded him to discipline him, like any other parents”, said
Rajeev Jain, a CWC member.
Cops on the basis of the social investigation report (SIR) filed an FIR on Friday afternoon at Shahpura police station. The
parents have been booked under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act and Section 3 of Child Labour Act after the boy gave
them his statement and the three child rights organizations are investigating the case.