Berlin court gives custody of Indian child to German state; parents rest hope on Modi govt

A Berlin court on Friday ruled that the custody of the Indianbaby would be granted to the German state as it rejected the parents' claim that their child's injury was accidental. The court said that its decision is in the "best interests of the child".

Indian baby custody case verdict:Parents' reaction

Following the verdict, the baby's parentsissued a statement expressing their trust in the Indian government and their belief that India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of External Affairs Dr SJaishankar would work towards repatriating their baby back to India.

They stated, "From today, we entrust [baby named] to the 1.4 billion citizens of Bharat (India)."

The child, who is now over 20 months old, has been in foster care in Germany since September 23, 2021, when she was only seven months old.

German authorities had accused the child's parents, Dhara and Bhavesh Shah,of mistreating her, which led to her placement in state-sponsored foster care.

India's reaction

India's foreign ministry has been involved in the case since 2022.

India has previously asked Germany to send baby childback to the country at the earliest, asserting that it is important for the child to be in her linguistic, religious, cultural and social environment.

"We are dismayed to learn that the child was abruptly shifted away from her current foster parent to a specialised foster care arrangement. The manner in which this shift was carried out is a matter of concern. We and the parents believe that this rapid change is not in the child's best interest and could have far-reaching consequences for her emotional and mental development," Arindam Bagchi, External Affairs Ministry's spokesperson, had said.

He further stated, "We would like to reiterate that[name of the child] is an Indian national and her nationality and socio-cultural background is the most important determinant of where her foster care is to be provided. We urge German authorities to do all that is necessary to send her to India at the earliest, which is also her inalienable right as an Indian national. We remain committed to ensuring her return to India."

Also watch |Row over repatriation of Indian child, taken by Germany govt from parents in 2021

Recently, 59 Members of Parliament from 19 political parties sent a signed joint letter to Philipp Ackerman, the German ambassador in New Delhi.

The letter urged Ambassador Ackerman to take all necessary measures to facilitate the swift repatriation of the Indian child backto India.

Notable signatories include India's principal opposition party Indian National Congress'Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Shashi Tharoor. From the ruling party, the signatories include actor-turned-politician Hema Malini and Maneka Gandhi.

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