Govt steps in to help reunite 10-yr-old girl with parents

Ludhiana: Taking note of a TOI report on the plight of a Jugiyana-based couple, who are fighting a battle to reunite with their lost and found 10-year-old daughter, the department of social security and development of women and children on Tuesday took up the case with Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA), Delhi.
The department’s top officials have also written to the department of social defence, Gujarat, and programme manager in the state, asking as to why adoptive parents were reluctant in filing a case with the court to withdraw adoption of their daughter.
The TOI had highlighted the case of Gopal and Hema whose daughter — Pratigya — had gone missing in May 2018. The girl was found after a day and handed over to the District Child Protection Office (DCPO) after she could not provide details about her parents. Though her parents had filed a missing complaint with the police, the DCPO could not trace her parents.
Later, the girl was given for adoption to an Ahmedabad-based couple. But after sometime, the adoptive parents traced her biological parents and whereabouts and left the girl with the DCPO, who sent the girl to the childcare home in Mullanpur. Officials said without going through court procedure, they cannot hand over the custody of girl to their biological parents.
Raji P Srivasta, principal secretary, social security and development of women and children, who is also the chairperson of Punjab State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, said, “Our team is on the job to get things done quickly as per the law.”
Talking to TOI, Shelly Mittal, programme manager, State Adoption Regulatory Authority, said, “As per the Juvenile Justice Act, the adoptive parents have to approach the court only after which the child can be handed over to her biological parents. Today we have written to the authority concerned in Gujarat, asking them to find out why adoptive parents are not pursuing the case with the court. Besides, CARA has also been informed about the case.”
She said, “We will give adoptive parents a week to start the process, else we will take a decision in the best interest of the child.”
Mittal said, “I have also asked DCPO Ludhiana to verify track record of the family as it has been learnt that the girl had run away from her home on several occasions.”