Assured of kid's custody, adoptive parents withdraw their court plea

MUMBAI: The "adoptive parents" of a child "rescued" in an illegal adoption racket in 2019 moved civil court on Friday, withdrawing the plea seeking his custody after submitting that the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) had informed that after finishing due procedure, they would hand over the child to them.

In 2019, the police busted an illegal adoption racket and took away six children from the adoptive parents. Last year, one set of parents moved court seeking return of the child's custody and to be declared his "guardians".

The parents, aged 50 and 44, said they had raised the child for eight years before his custody was taken from them on July 7, 2019. Appearing for the parents, advocate Siddharth Jagushte moved court seeking permission to withdraw the petition. The court granted permission.

The parents, in their plea for custody submitted last year, had said they have been visiting the child regularly. "It is submitted that the petitioners had taken care of the welfare of the child for eight years and ensured the child will get all love, care and affection as required....(the child) recognizes the petitioners as his father and mother," the plea said.

In their plea, the parents told the court that they married in 1997 and have four daughters. They said that after yearning to have another child, they came across a woman with six children unable to take care of them due to weak financial condition. Their plea said that the woman approached them and the biological mother assured them she would comply with adoption procedures.

The plea said that parents met the child who was only a few days old and instantly felt connected. Coupled with the fact that they did not have a male child, they decided to adopt him in 2011. The plea said in 2019 an FIR was filed for an alleged illegal adoption racket, and adoptive mother arrested and granted bail. The parents they were victims of the racket.

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