NEW DELHI: Fifty-nine MPs from 19 political parties have written to the German Ambassador to India asking for the early repatriation of Ariha Shah who has been under forced German foster care for over 20 months now.
The MPs include Jaya Bachchan, Hema Malini, Shashi Tharoor, Mahua Moitra, Farooq Abdullah, Priyanka Chaturvedi and others. “Baby Ariha was taken away from her parents in September 2021 when she was seven months old by Jugendamt, German Child Services.
This was after the child had suffered an accident and was hospitalised. An initial investigation had begun on allegations of child sexual abuse but this was found baseless and the case was closed in February 2022 without any charges being levelled against the parents. Following this the baby was shifted to a special child care and then moved to foster care. As MPs we have special responsibility for the welfare of our citizens. We request you to do whatever is necessary to send the child back to India,” said the letter signed by Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas on behalf of the other 58 MPs.
The letter addressed to German Ambassador Dr Phillip Ackerman reads that though they respect German laws, since there are no criminal cases against the parents, the child should be repatriated to India.
The German Ambassador refused to comment on the letter.
The parents of the child are practising Jains and have opposed what the child has been fed in foster care, which is contrary to their beliefs. The Ministry of External Affairs said it has been persistently advocating for Ariha’s return. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Ariha’s continued stay in the German foster care and “infringement” of her social, cultural and linguistic rights is of deep concern to the government of India and the parents.
“We would like to reiterate that Ariha Shah 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,” Bagchi said.
German authorities to do all that is necessary: MEA
German authorities took custody of Ariha Shah on September 23, 2021, when she was seven months old, alleging the parents harassed her. “We urge German authorities to do all that is necessary to send Ariha
to India at the earliest...” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.