Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jul 16: Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of the district has come to the conclusion that the way a girl from Kakkinje Chibidre in Beltangady taluk was adopted by a couple was not proper. The committee came to this decision after considering a complaint filed by the biological parents of the girl. However, the girl was entrusted to Prajna Counselling Centre on Wednesday July 15, as she refused to accompany her biological parents.
The girl in question had been adopted by a Catholic couple some years back. The parents of the 11-year-old girl had approached CWC with a complaint stating that the girl had not been legally adopted. Hence, they had sought custody of the girl. CWC, which held hearing, noted that Christians are allowed to adopt children under Juvenile Justice Act alone and not under Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act. It concluded that the adoption process which took place on October 29, 2014, was illegal.
It is said that when the biological parents of the girl and adoptive parents were questioned on December 17, 2014 by CWC, the girl had expressed desire to stay with adoptive parents and get educated. The biological parents had agreed to her desire. Both the parents were asked to be present before CWC again on January 28, 2015. Even on that day, biological parents of the girl had agreed to allow the girl to be with her adoptive parents. CWC had ordered for making room for the biological parents to meet their daughter now and then.
In between, the biological parents of the girl approached CWC with a complaint that the adoptive parents of their daughter were not allowing them to meet the girl. The committee ordered the girl to be presented before it. Accordingly, the girl, her biological parents, and elder brother, were present on Wednesday. On this occasion, the girl, with tears in her eyes, refused to go with her biological parents, and expressed her willingness to stay with the couple who adopted her. Therefore, she has been ordered to be entrusted to the care of Prajna Counselling Centre until further orders.
President of the committee, K Nikhesh Shetty, said that opportunity has been provided for her biological parents and other children to talk to the girl, so that an environment that is congenial for her to join her biological parents is created.