Gujarati Couple, Bhavesh and Dhara Shah have been trying to reunite with their baby girl Ariha, who is currently in foster care in Germany. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday responded to the matter, saying they are in touch with German authorities.
“The case of the Indian baby currently in foster care in Germany is a sensitive matter and is sub judice. The government has been intervening and engaging with the German authorities on the matter for over a year, since September 2021,” said MEA Spokesperson Arindam Baghchi.
The couple has been battling for months to get their daughter back, who was taken from them under Child Protection Rights. The couple lives in Berlin, and eight months after the birth of their child, their parents moved to Germany to spend the vacation with them.
According to media reports, baby Ariha was accidentally hurt by her grandmother in September last year. She was immdiately rushed to the hospital, where the German authorities accused the couple of sexual assault against the child and took her away from their care, the couple said.
“We are conscious of privacy issues and the sensitive nature of the circumstances surrounding the case. The Embassy of India, Berlin has also been extending relevant consular assistance to the family,” MEA further added.
The baby is currently under foster care of an unknown family. A criminal probe was initiated against the couple, but when nothing substantial was found, they were given the right to see Ariha once a week. However, the frequency was later changed to once a month.
The couple had requested to send their child to their extended family in Ahmedabad or their grandparents in Mumbai.
The parents had shared a clip, in which they were seen pleading for help to bring their child back to India so that she can grow up in Indian culture. Soon after the incident, people had started an online petition to bring the baby back to their parents.
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