A case of 2 lakh ‘missing’ children

Disparity in survey data submitted in SC

Discrepancies in two government-commissioned surveys, both a year apart, submitted in the Supreme Court show that over two lakh children, said to be residing in childcare homes, are “missing.”

A 2016-17 survey, commissioned by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, shows that 4.73 lakh children reside in care homes nationwide. However, the number of children in care homes came down to 2.61 lakh in the data submitted by the Centre before the Supreme Court in March 2018. The data were gathered by the Centre from the States.

‘Very disturbing’

Rachakonda Police rescued 11 girls from BC Colony of Yadagirigutta recently. (Photo for representation: Reuters)

Earlier this month, when the team of Rachakonda Police along with child welfare officers raided the BC Colony of Yadagirigutta in Telangana, they had no idea that it could lead them to the discovery of minor girls who were trafficked.

Now, several families from across the state are queuing outside the local police stations enquiring about their missing children.

The shocking human trafficking racket came to light after the Rachakonda Police got a distress call. An inquiry was ordered following which the police busted a prostitution racket involving minor girls between five and seven years of age.

Initially, it was suspected that the racket was being operated by members of the Dommari community. Police rescued 11 minor girls and six women were arrested in connection with the racket.

Kiran Modi (centre), the founder of Udayan care

Kiran Modi (centre), the founder of Udayan care

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Mumbai police have managed to nab the kingpin of a gang that trafficked a reported 300 children to America. Picked up from financially poor families in Gujarat, the children were sold to the highest bidder.

Kingpin of gang which sold 300 children to US buyers nabbed Five members of the gang including the kingpin have been arrested by Mumbai Police (Representative Image) |Photo Credit: Thinkstock Mumbai: One that seemed to be a small scale human trafficking operation, later turned out to be a massive child trafficking racket operating out of Mumbai. An actor's pro-awareness led to the bust of a gang that is responsible for sending close to 300 children from India to the United States of America. Police have now arrested the kingpin of the racket, Gujarat-resident Rajubhai Gamlewala.Going by his criminal record, Rajubhai entered the business to sell minors to prospective buyers in the US in 2007 charging an estimated Rs 45 lakh for each child. Details about the gang and its operations emerged after the arrests of members of his gang in March of this year. Meanwhile, the police is yet to ascertain the fate of those children already trafficked by the gang under the garb of adoption.

A police officer familiar with the investigation revealed how the gang sought buyers in the US who were looking for Indian children. Once they had a buyer lined up, the gang would approach families in Gujarat plagued with financial difficulties and convince them to sell their child. Once sold, the minors were sent to America alongside a mule who later returned to India. In order to make the children resemble the pictures on their fake passports, the gang would force them to wear makeup. Once the children gained entry into the US, the mule would return with the passport used to transport the child and return it to its original owner.Also Read: Doctors treating sexual assault survivors have to play dual roles, MHA issues guidelinesThe matter came to light in March of this year when actor Preeti Sood received word of minors being subjected to makeup at a salon in Mumbai's Versova. What her friends thought was forced prostitution soon turned out to be a massive adoption racket. A number of gang members were arrested at the time which led police to probe the matter thoroughly and eventually nab the kingpin. DCP (Zone IX) Paramjit Singh Dahiya said that Gamlewala has a prior arrest dating back to 2007 when he was nabbed for passport forgery in Mumbai. Gamlewala along with four other members of his gang have been booked under sections 34 and 373 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which correspond to charges of common intention and buying a minor for purposes of prostitution.

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Papalal Ravi (extreme left) who was attacked. (Photo: DC)

Papalal Ravi (extreme left) who was attacked. (Photo: DC)

HYDERABAD: A man who adopted a Muslim girl after she lost her parents in the twin blasts that rocked the city in 2007 has claimed that he was repeatedly stabbed by another person earlier this month. The incident came to light on Friday. Mr Papalal Ravikanth, a resident of Shahinyathgunj, is recovering at the Osmania General Hospital.

“On June 1, while I was in my house, one Bal Kishan and others stabbed me on my legs, stomach and chest. “The doctors put 60 sutures on my body and saved me. I feared I would die. There are several persons who do not want me to live and are trying to kill me,” he said. He claimed that a few persons owing allegiance to some right wing organisations were behind the attack. Asked why he had to stay in the hospital for nearly a month, Mr Ravikanth said he had undergone three skin transplants as he had suffered deep wounds.

Mr Ravikanth, who makes idols of deities at Narsing Mandir in Sultan Bazaar, told this newspaper that people of the were harassing him for keeping a Muslim girl at his home. “We allow her to follow her religion. She brought happiness to our house and leads the other children in studies,” he said. The police has denied this version. When contacted, Shahinyathgunj inspector M. Ravindar Reddy said Mr Ravikanth was stabbed by Bal Kishan, who was involved in a murder case in the police station area a few months ago.

The inter-country adoption showed an opposite trend where 389 children adopted out of 718 were over the age of two. (Representational Image)

The inter-country adoption showed an opposite trend where 389 children adopted out of 718 were over the age of two. (Representational Image)

Over 80 per cent of children adopted in the country in 2017-18 were below the age of two and there were not many kids of this age group legally free for adoption, according to official data.

In 2017-18, 2,537 children below the age of two were adopted while the number above two years was just 597 children, the data given by the Central Adoption Resource Authority, the apex adoption body in the country, reflected.

In the age bracket of 2-4 years, 228 children were adopted; in the 4-6 years group, 143 children were adopted and above the age of 6 years, 226 children were adopted.

$~

* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

+ W.P.(C) 5718/2015 & CM APPLs. 28508/2015, 19662/2016

PKH ..... Petitioner

Through Mr. Karan Singh Thukral with

About 900 children await adoption from orphanages

Four years since the government embarked on a mission to close orphanages and other children’s institutions and reintegrate children into family based care, the National Commission for Children (NCC) says that nearly 900 children still await placement.

By

Nasra Bishumba

Published : January 18, 2018

Brazil Eases Child Adoption for Foreigners

By Contributing Reporter - March 25, 2014

By Maria Lopez Conde, Senior Contributing Reporter

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Stories of families increasing their ranks by adopting children from distant lands could soon become commonplace in Brazil. On Monday the National Council of Justice (CNJ) moved to approve a change in the country’s National Adoption Registry (CNA) that facilitates the adoption of Brazilian children by foreign would-be parents.

Brazil Eases Child Adoption for Foreigners, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil News

Nigel Cantwell, founder of DCI, receives a well-deserved Doctorate Honoris Causa from the University of Strathclyde14 July 2017

FacebooktwitterlinkedinmailOn 28 June 2017 Nigel Cantwell, founder of DCI, received a Doctorate Honoris Causa from the University of Strathclyde.Watch Nigel Cantwell’s speechDuring his speech, Mr.Cantwell called for the full recognition of the human rights of children as a vital factor in shaping the way organizations work with and for children.Mr.Cantwell founded Defence for Children International in 1979 and remained with the organization for 15 years. He then took on various roles with UNICEF and has been working as an international consultant on child protection policy since 2003, with a special focus on safeguarding the rights of children in relation to alternative care and inter-country adoption. Currently, he is part of our Advisory Committee.From DCI we take this opportunity to congratulate him for this great achievement and we are very grateful for all the work he has done for our movement!