HC upset with CBI probe in Preet Mandir adoption scam

Expressing dissatisfaction over the enquiry report submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Bombay High Court on Monday sought details of the enquiry made into Pune’s Preet Mandir child adoption and trafficking scam by November 20.

In its enquiry report submitted to the court two weeks ago, the CBI had reported no irregularities in the functioning of the adoption home and given it a clean chit. The court had suo moto taken up the issue of child trafficking after a news channel exposed the illegal activities carried out by Preet Mandir last year.

The adoption centre’s owner, JS Bhasin, had allegedly been selling babies to foreign nationals for as much as Rs5.5 lakh, thereby violating the Supreme Court’s guidelines on inter-country adoptions.

On Monday, advocate Pradeep Havnur told the court that the CBI had not looked into hotel bills of the chairperson of Child Adoption Resource Agency.

Bills of the five-star hotel in Pune, where the chairman was residing during his investigation of the adoption centre, were allegedly footed by Preet Mandir itself.