JAGTIAL: A three-year-old boy’s plea to return home with his adoptive parents during a visit to a child care institution in Jagtial district has gone viral on social media, drawing attention to a dispute over his adoption.
The childless couple, Saritha and Srinivas, took the infant into their care three years ago, barely five days after his biological mother died. They have since raised him as their own, developing a close emotional bond with him.
However, officials recently separated the child from the couple, citing the absence of legally valid adoption procedures, and shifted him to a child care institution.
During a recent visit, the boy pleaded with the couple to take him home, expressing his unwillingness to stay at the institution. The couple were seen embracing him and struggling to contain their emotions.
Saritha and Srinivas maintain that they adopted the child according to Hindu traditions. They claim to have approached the high court, which directed the authorities on October 16, 2026, to hand over the child to them.
The couple allege that officials have not implemented the court’s directions and are delaying the handover. They also claim that the child is struggling with the separation and that his health is deteriorating due to distress.
Demanding his immediate return, they have questioned the delay despite the high court order.
The video has drawn widespread reactions on social media, with several users expressing concern over the emotional distress caused to a child separated from the couple who raised him. Others have questioned why authorities have not facilitated the completion of the required legal formalities if the adoption procedure was found to be deficient.