India: Doctor Arrested For Placing Special Needs Child in Illegal Adoption and Covering Up Subsequent Abandonment

This sordid trafficking story of a special needs child begins back in March 2011. That is when Trupti and Sumit Meshram – who had no children, were looking out for a child for adoption.

The result was that a doctor was arrested after placing a good-looking, but mentally delayed child in  an illegal adoption with a falsified birth certificate; falsifying papers after these adoptive parents abandoned the child and went on the lam; falsifying a complaint to the police after making up bogus parent names; and abandoning the child to a hospital who then transferred the child to an orphanage. Oh, and the Child Rights Panel Chief  was kept in the dark about the case.

“When they approached Dr Shivji in March, he illegally gave a good-looking four-month-old girl to them. Meshram couple shammed as the girl was born to them at home and even made bogus birth registration certificate with civic authority. They were reportedly delighted to have such a beautiful baby.

However within couple of months, the couple learnt that the girl was not normal. They took her to Dr Shivji, who pacified them stating that the girl would recover as she grows. But his assurance turned out to be empty. Medical examination by other child specialists revealed that the girl was mentally underdeveloped. Irked Meshram couple went to Dr Shivji to return the girl. After long and heated discussion, Dr Shivji agreed to re-accept the girl. He however conjured up a fake story of Sandeep Aade abandoning a girl child. After filing a complaint and keeping the baby for two days, he handed over the baby to government hospital.”

“The matter came to light on September 4, when a complaint on part of Dr Shivji was filed with Ramnagar police station claiming that Sandeep Aade from Armori (Gadchiroli) had brought her nine month old girl for treatment in Shivji Specialty Hospital. However he discarded the child and disappeared leaving the girl to the mercy of the hospital. An offence under section 317 was registered over the complaint.

Investigation revealed that the name and address given by Aade was bogus. Couple of days later Dr Shivji transferred the ill fated girl to civil hospital from where she was moved to an orphanage in the town. But detailed investigation into the case revealed the cruel game destiny played with the poor child.”

The police arrested Dr. Shivji on September 17  “for abandonment of child and deceiving the police by filing a false complaint. The Meshram couple who adopted the girl and later discarded her too have been booked for forgery and abandonment of child, and cops are on lookout for them.”

“Finally offence was registered against Dr Shivji and Meshram couple under section 317, read with 420, 465, 468 and 471 of IPC on Friday night [September 16, 2011]. While Dr Shivji was arrested late in the night, the Meshram couple is absconding.

Police sources claimed that it is still undisclosed, who are the real parents of the ill-fated girl child and how do she fall into the hands of Dr Shivji. Cops are also investigating into the forgery done with civic authority for birth certificate.”

“High Drama” on October 17, 2011

Dr. Shivji was still in Magisterial custody at this time.

“High drama was witnessed at police headquarters here on Monday midnight when over a hundred doctors alleged harassment of Dr Irshad Ali Shivji’s family and raised slogans before the bungalow of the superintendent of police.

SP Suvez Haque later held a meeting which lasted till the wee hours of Tuesday at SP’s conference room where doctors hurled allegations. Although there was commotion for a while, Haque managed to pacify the doctors by explaining the technicality of the investigation procedure.”

“On Monday evening, Ramnagar police had summoned the father of Dr Shivji for his statement. However, his family took it the other way and started alleging that the police were harassing them in the name of investigation. After the word spread among the doctors’ fraternity, they held an emergency meeting at IMA hall late in the night.

Later, around 150 doctors went to Haque’s government bungalow close to police headquarter in the midnight. Even as doctors shouted slogans, Haque took the matter patiently and asked the doctors to meet him at the conference room.

Then began a marathon meeting between doctors and Haque. Doctors vented their anger over the police authorities and asked to be lenient towards Dr Shivji’s wife, who is a co-accused in the case. After the doctors had their say, Haque replied to every allegation and explained them the technicality of investigations. He also turned down the request of being lenient towards Dr Shivji’s wife, as demanded by doctors and held that police would handle the matter as per procedure.

When contacted, Haque confirmed the incident but said that the matter was resolved. He said, “There was some misunderstanding and doctors felt that Dr Shivji’s family was being harassed after his father was summoned for investigation. Summoning relatives of absconding accused for questioning is part of investigation procedure. Dr Shivji’s father was not brought by the police. He was asked to come to the police station to record his statement. None of the other members of family was bothered.” As far allegations of not letting off Dr Shivji on bail is concerned, it is a matter of court to decide, he added.”

Children’s Right’s Chief Kept in Dark About this Case

“President of Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Minakshi Jaiswal expressed serious concern over poor status of facilities and education in ashram school, midday meal scheme for students, status of malnourishment and denial of right to education in the district.
She also expressed her apprehensions over the lack of protection to the girl students in ashram schools and exploitation of children. She made observations after a tour of remote villages during her two-day visit to Chandrapur.

Jaiswal made several surprise inspections in zilla parishad and ashram schools, public health centres, anganwadis, schools for deaf and dumb to check the status of health, education and other facilities provided to the children there.

“Girl students in some resident ashram schools, mostly in the interior part of district, lack necessary protection. While atmosphere there seemed undesirable, these school lacked women superintendents. Anticipating possibilities of child abuse, I have ordered officers to ensure appointment of women superintendents in ashram schools and take action against school authorities if they don’t comply,” she said. Although Jaiswal did not name such schools, but claimed she had detected a few ashram schools having similar atmosphere also in Gadchiroli district.

She also raised questions on the quality of facilities and education to students in ashram schools and resident schools for deaf and dumb children she visited. “While schools lack basic infrastructure, the standard of education is also poor. In one instance, a seventh standard student failed to read simple Marathi sentence properly. The residential arrangements for the students lacked quality. Meal provided to the student too was found to be of bad quality,” she said.

Jaiswal also expressed need of supervision over self help groups cooking mid-day meals for the students in the schools. She directed the concerned officers to rectify the problems in schools and take action against those found guilty.

She voiced concern over denial of right to education for children. However, the officials here have stated that no children in Chandrapur district has been denied of the education, she claimed.

“Education department needs to carry out survey to verify the number of children denied education in the district. The commission has so far admitted 150 such children to schools,” she said.

She also said that she had directed officers of labour department to take action against the establishments and industries employing children, irrespective of whether the industries are hazardous or non-hazardous.

Jaiswal not informed about child trafficking case

Minakshi Jaiswal was shocked when she was questioned about the recent incident of child trafficking related to Dr Irshad Ali Shivji in the town. She claimed that despite inquiry, officers of child and women welfare department and even the police officers did not mention such a serious case to her.

Dr Shivji is accused of facilitating illegal adoption of a girl child to a couple but was exposed by Chandrapur police some months back.

When details of case were brought to her notice, she said she would seek explanation from the concerned officer for concealing such serious information from her. Jaiswal claimed that the commission is empowered for monitoring and supervision of cases related to child trafficking.”

Sources:

Doctor booked for forgery and abandonment of girl child [The Times of India 9/19/11]

Doctors storm SP office, raise slogans against police [The Times of India 10/19/11]

Child rights panel chief expresses concern over ‘inefficient’ ashram schools [The Times of India 12/4/11]

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