Shockingly, Kashmiri kids who were orphaned by losing parents through COVID are being allegedly sold for illegal adoption.
An India Today investigation has found that many children who lost either one or both parents to COVID-19 are being ‘sold’ by individuals and organizations running illegal adoption rackets.
Over 1 lakh children in India lost a parent to COVID between March 2020 and April 2021
India Today’s team found several people linked to shady organizations trading COVID orphans
Those who want to adopt kids, should apply only through CARA’s procedures: NCPCR chairperson
This “sale” of COVID orphans has come to the notice of the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) Mission Director in J&K Shabnam Kamili, in which serious allegations have been made against two people by an NGO.
According to India Today investigate report, Asrar Amin ran an NGO in Kashmir called Global Welfare Charitable Trust, which claims to be working for children and family welfare.
But when India Today’s SIT reporters probed him at a hotel in Delhi, he offered COVIDorphans under his care for Rs 75,000 a child.
“We have so many orphans with us. But if one wants a COVID orphan, there’s no problem,” he said. “Kashmiri children are really beautiful, Mashallah!”
Amin charged Rs 1.50 lakh for a pair of COVID orphans.
“So two children can be adopted for Rs 1.50 lakh, right?” asked the reporter.
“Yes. I am not taking this money for myself. It’s for my trust,” the NGO head replied.
According to India Today Amin is willing to offer COVID orphans without paperwork.
“You must be adopting a child for some reason. There’s no need for paperwork in that situation. But if you still insist, you can do it,” he told the news channel .
“But what if there’s a problem tomorrow?” the reporter asked.
“That’s my headache. I’ll handle it. I’ll say you never met me. I don’t know you,” Amin replied.
According to the report, one NGO operator from Pampore in Kashmir was offering newborn Covid orphans, some even lifted from hospitals, for adoption.
Aijaz Ahmad Dar of the Noble Foundation nonprofit told India Today’s investigative reporters in New Delhi that he would involve hospital doctors in stealing the orphaned newborns.
“Suppose there’s a newborn. We’ll get that baby lifted right away,” he said.
“Like a COVID orphan, a newborn whose mother died from COVID in the hospital?” the reporter asked.
“That’s what I am saying. We’ll take some gynecologists, some MD (qualified doctors), whom I know, in confidence. We’ll ask them how much money they would want if there’s a death,” Dar said. “We’ll talk to them to give us any orphan who has lost his/her mother. We’ll tell them not to send the baby to an orphanage but give it to us. We’ll update. God willing, we’ll have a child whose parent died from COVID.”
He demanded Rs 10 lakh for such a child.
“How many orphans are you in contact with in general?” asked the reporter.
“At least 500-600. From eight to ten years in age,” Dar replied
An FIR was lodged against the illegal adoption of kids orphaned in the COVID pandemic in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district following an online report regarding alleged illegal adoption and “sale” of children, who were orphaned during the COVID pandemic, officials said here on Wednesday.
In this connection, the mission director has directed the authorities concerned to take action and an FIR has been lodged at Pampore police station against the culprits, they said.
Sheetal Nanda, the secretary of the Social Welfare Department, has taken up the issue with the Kashmir IGP to ensure immediate action in the matter and initiate a legal course of action under relevant laws.
Kamili in addition has issued instant orders to child welfare committees to meet COVID orphans personally which have already been identified by the department and uploaded their details on different online portals of the Government of India and submit a report to the Directorate of ICPS within a day’s time, the officials said.
“Further, fact-finding committees were also constituted for Jammu and Kashmir divisions in order to ascertain the number of orphans/Covid orphans and their well-being in all the districts of J&K,” they added.
