‘Love child’ saved from illegal adoption

Surat: It was borne out of their love, but sadly the foetus did not get its share of love from its unwilling parents. Born into the

world of deceit, the newborn was almost on the verge of being lost forever in the web of treachery had it not been saved by

Navsari’s District Child Protection Unit.

The baby was delivered by an unwed 18-year-old woman, who was cheated by her lover who deserted her after she became

pregnant.

However, the parents of the woman wanted to give the child up for adoption illegally to any willing people. But, before they

could act, the incident came to the child protection unit’s knowledge that rescued it in the nick of time.

“We received a tip-off about the 18-year-old girl giving birth to a child in a hospital in Navsari town. We also came to know that

her parents were planning to give it for adoption illegally. We immediately visited the family at the hospital and probed the

case,” said an official.

“She was minor when she fell in love with a youth and had physical relations. However, when she realized about her pregnancy

and approached her boyfriend, he did not respond to her. She also kept it as a secret from her parents, but her mother

suspected it and took her to a doctor where they came to know she was six months pregnant. Worrying about the societal

backlash after knowing about their unmarried daughter’s pregnancy, they decided to give the child in adoption,” the official

added.

So, the parents got her admitted to a hospital for delivery where they registered her age as 21-years-old.

When the hospital demanded her Aadhaar card, they did not provide it then but gave only after she delivered the child.

Doctors then realized that she was a minor and lodged a complaint against the girl’s boyfriend.

The accused was detained under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

“A team from the child protection unit also counselled them about legal aspects of adoption and the woman and her newborn

were shifted to a shelter home. Going by law, one can’t give or adopt a child without proper procedure and it’s a crime under

the Juvenile Justice Act,” another official said.

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