'Sale' of Kashmiri orphans? FIR lodged against alleged culprits

This comes after a report published by an online portal that claimed that Kashmiri children who lost their parents to the COVID are up for sale in the Indian markets.

Srinagar:Acting swiftly on the reports of alleged 'illegal adoption' and 'sale' of Covid orphans, Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday lodged an FIR at Pampore Police Station against the alleged culprits.

"Taking serious note of the news report regarding alleged illegal adoption and sale of Covid orphans of Kashmir, Mission Director ICPS J&K, Shabnam Kamili, today directed the concerned authorities to lodge a case against the culprits. Following which an FIR has been lodged at Police Station, Pampore," the J&K administration said in a statement.

"Also, Secretary, Social Welfare Department Sheetal Nanda has taken up the issue with IGP Kashmir, to ensure immediate action in the matter and initiate a legal course of action under relevant laws," the statement said.

Meanwhile, police too have confirmed the lodging of FIR in the matter.

"As soon as police received directions regarding the shocking case of the alleged sale of Kashmiri orphans. The case was registered in the concerned police station (Pampore). Further investigations are underway," a senior police officer of J&K Police confirmed to ETV Bharat.

He further said, "I cannot share further details with you at the moment."

Meanwhile, fact-finding committees have also been constituted for Jammu and Kashmir divisions to ascertain the number of orphans/Covid orphans and their well-being in all the districts of the Union Territory.

This comes after a report published by an online portal that claimed that Kashmiri children who lost their parents to the COVID are up for sale in the Indian markets.

In the report, Asrar Amin, who runs an NGO in Kashmir called Global Welfare Charitable Trust, claims to be working for children and family welfare in the valley, offered COVID orphans under his care for Rs 75,000 a child, when the news organization’s investigation team approached him in New Delhi.

"We have so many orphans with us. But if one wants a COVID orphan, there’s no problem,” the report said while quoting Amin.

He, according to the report, demanded Rs 1.50 lakh for a pair of COVID orphans.

The report also claimed that another NGO operator from the Pampore area of Kashmir offered newborn COVID orphans, some even lifted from hospitals, for adoption.

Aijaz Ahmad Dar of the Noble Foundation non-profit was quoted saying that that he would involve hospital doctors in stealing the orphaned newborns.

“Suppose there’s a newborn. We’ll get that baby right away,” Dar was quoted as saying.