HC orders CBI to conduct inquiry into adoption scam

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the alleged child adoption and trafficking scam at an adoption home in Pune within four weeks.

A division bench of Justices Ranjana Desai and Anoop Mohta also directed the Central Adoption Resources Agency (CARA) to file its affidavit within the same time.

The court had suo motu taken up the issue of alleged child trafficking being carried out at the Preet Mandir home following a report in a news channel.

The report had alleged that its owner JS Bhasin had been selling babies for as much as Rs 5.5 lakh to foreign nationals, violating the guidelines of the Apex court for inter-country adoptions.

The process of adoption is almost a year-long process requiring the foreign national to first register with a welfare agency in his own country and then get in touch with an Indian adoption agency.

The final adoption is subject to the approval of the concerned High Court.

The case will come up for next hearing on March 14.