Ex-BJP MLA’s kin moves SC to stall adoption of infant in UP

Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), Feb 7 (IANS) Amit Mishra, the nephew of former BJP MLA Pappu Bhartaul a.k.a Rajesh Mishra, has approached the Supreme Court seeking “cancellation of the adoption of a baby” on the grounds that there were discrepancies in the adoption process”.

In 2019, the infant was found abandoned in an earthen pot. She was named as ‘miracle baby’ since she had survived the ordeal.

She was kept in an orphanage and later, a Malta-based couple adopted her.

In December 2022, some right-wing activists lodged an FIR against the orphanage in Bareilly and the Malta-based couple that adopted her, charging them with “wrongful conversion” and alleged that the orphanage staff had changed the baby’s faith and made her an Aadhaar card with a “new Christian name”.

Thereafter, the Delhi High Court directed the UP government “not to harass the orphanage staff and stop the proceedings under the unlawful conversion law in the FIR”.

It also directed the UP administration “not to create hurdles in the baby’s adoption process or her journey to Malta with her adoptive parents.”

Amit’s advocate Shraddha Saxena said, “My client wanted to adopt the girl in question but her details are not listed on the CARA website. As of now, the SC has upheld the adoption process and ordered that the girl shall remain at the place where she is residing.”

She said, “The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) doesn’t share complete information about the children on their website and special preference is given to the parents from European countries.”

–IANS

amita/dpb