Date:27/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/27/stories/2007072752921000.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Ordeal on for rescued infants: parents appeal for adoption

Staff Reporter

Children in ‘Sishu Gruha’ till legal proceedings are completed

KARIMNAGAR: The 10-day ordeal of the infants rescued in the child-swapping racket in Medipalli mandal and their parents ended on Thursday with the district administration deciding to hand over the infants to their parents till the legal proceedings were completed.

The Medipalli police busted the child-swapping racket involving the sale of infants to childless couples with the arrest of a midwife, Sameena, and another woman on July 17.

The police rescued a total of seven children, of which one infant was handed over to her mother in Korutla town.

The remaining six children were rescued from their parents from various parts of the district and shifted to Swadhar, a home for destitute women in Karimnagar town.

Since then the six infants were kept at Swadhar and their mothers also accompanied them to take care of them.

The parents had to run from pillar to post appealing to officials for the possession of their adopted children. The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members held a meeting with the parents and it was decided that the children would be shifted to ‘Sishu Gruha’ in Warangal and would be handed over after legal proceedings