Newborn’s ‘kidnapping’: Police probe illegal adoption angle

Two days after a Meerut-based doctor couple was booked for the alleged kidnapping of a newborn, the initial probe indicated that it could be a case of illegal adoption.

The couple told the police that they had given money for the prenatal and postnatal care of the mother and her baby, said Ganga Ram Punia, SP.

“On the complaint of Jyoti of Kunjpura village, we have registered a case under Sections 363, 368, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 34 of the IPC and Sections 80 and 81 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, against Dr DP Srivastava and his wife Dr Shashibala of Meerut,” the SP added.

“In the initial investigation, it came to the light that it could be a case of illegal adoption, but we are probing all angles. Nobody can take or give money for adopting a child,” he said.

Jyoti had filed a complaint with the Kunjpura police, alleging that the doctor couple had taken her son forcefully on September 14 from her, when he was just four days old.

Jyoti has two more children and her husband reportedly left her a few months before their third child was born.“I came in the contact of the doctor couple through my friend, who used to go their clinic for consultation. Four days after birth at the KCGMC, the doctor couple took my son, saying that the baby had been suffering from respiratory problems and they will get him treated in Meerut free of cost. They even took her signatures of blank papers,” alleged Jyoti in her complaint. Denying the allegations, Dr Shashibala said Jyoti came to them with her woman friend, requesting them to arrange someone who wanted a baby as she already had two children. “On humanitarian grounds, we approached a couple who was without a child even after 21 years of marriage. Jyoti along with her friend came to my residence and handed over the child to the couple. ,” she added. Jyoti, was not available for comment.