Pampore: In the ongoing probe into the alleged 'illegal adoption and sale' of Kashmiri orphan children, the Jammu and Kashmir police have on Thursday arrested two persons and sealed the office of an NGO in Pampore, officials said.
"Yesterday, an FIR was registered in the police station Pampore against the two persons for allegedly being involved in illegal adoption and sale of Covid orphans of Kashmir. The case was registered under section 370 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code," a senior police official said.
"Today office of Global Welfare Charitable Trust (NGO) was sealed and two accused - Ajaz Ahmed Dar and Mohammad Amin Rather - have been arrested. Further arrests are expected in this case," he added.
This comes a day after a report published by an online portal claiming that Kashmiri children who lost their parents to the COVID are up for sale in the Indian markets.
Earlier, taking a suo moto cognizance of the report, Mission Director ICPS J&K Shabnam Kamili had directed the concerned authorities to lodge a case against the accused.
In the report, Amin, who 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.
Dar of the Noble Foundation 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.
Read: Policeman injured during raid on suspected terrorist hideout in Srinagar
