Rajasthan: Signed ‘godinama’, couples booked for illegal adoption

JAIPUR: A newborn always gets love and affection from his family. But, not in this case.

Within a month of his birth, custody of 29-day-old infant has changed thrice. Who will be his family where he will be brought up, what will be his identity, is still unknown for him?

Currently, he is at childcare home in Chittorgarh. He was born on April 18 at a private hospital of Nimbahera in Chittorgarh district.

Since he was born to a girl within a month of her marriage, she and her husband, who was not the biological father of the infant boy, gave the newborn to a couple by singing an agreement having title “godinama” on a stamp paper, without following the proper norms of adoption mentioned under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Since the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) found it a clear-cut violation of Section 80 of JJ Act 2015, a zero FIR has been registered against four persons, two couples, who adopted the baby and those who gave the baby for adoption at Sadar police station, Chittorgarh.

The baby is now in the custody of CWC and admitted to childcare home. “There are norms prescribed under JJ Act 2015 for adoption of a child. If they are not followed, the adoption is illegal and it is a violation of section 80 of JJ Act, 2015. Just signing an agreement on stamp paper, the legality of adoption is not fulfilled, in such cases FIR is registered. Action will be taken against those who are found guilty in the matter,” said Shailendra Pandya, member, Rajasthan State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (RSCPCR). The incident came into light when a woman brought a premature five-day-old baby to district hospital, Chittorgarh for his treatment. The baby was born at a private hospital in Nimbahera. The doctors immediately admitted the baby on April 23.

“Since the woman was unable to provide the correct details of the baby’s birth, they suspected that the baby was not born to the woman who brought her to the hospital. We received the information about it. When we asked her, she told us that they had adopted the baby by signing an agreement on a stamp paper, which is an illegal adoption. On the same day, on April 23, we took the baby in our custody and completed formality of re-admission of the baby to the hospital’s NICU. Now, the infant was discharged from the hospital on Monday and we have shifted him to child care home,” said Ramesh Chandra Dashora, member, child welfare committee, Chittorgarh.

Dashora said that since FIR has been registered, the investigations will find out if it is a matter of child trafficking or any financial exchanges were made in the adoption.

The CWC said that once the investigations are completed, and the child will be free from all legalities, he will be open for adoption through Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). “He will get the parents through CARA, but it all depends on investigations,” said the CWC.

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