4 arrested in Gujrat for illegal adoption

Dahod (Gujarat), Jan 7 (IANS): Police in Gujarat's Dahod have arrested four people for the illegal adoption of an infant.

Dahod Child Protection Officer S.K. Taviyad told IANS: "We had received specific information about an illegal adoption. On January 5, along with local police and Child Welfare Committee members, we carried out search at Ritadevi and Vijay Chauhan's residence and found a month-old infant. Upon inquiry, it was found that they were not the biological parents of the child, but had adopted him from Ramilaben and her husband Raisingh Bhabhor."

The Chauhans also admitted that they got a birth certificate for the boy in the name of Suryakumar Vijay Chauhan.

After verifying all details, Taviyad lodged a complaint against Ramilaben and Raisingh for intentionally abandoning the child and against Ritadevi and Vijay for the violation of Juvenile Justice Act's adoption procedure.

The Chauhans were also booked for forgery.

The four were before the First Class Judicial Magistrate Limkheda court on Friday and they were granted bail.

According to police sources, the Bhabhor couple already have eight children and this was their ninth baby.

As they could not afford the newborn baby's upkeep and the Chauhan did not have a child, they internally agreed to give the infant to the baby and handed over to them in December 2022.