Google Translation: Full text in Danish HERE
Politiken, 12 May 2013
In 2003, four Indian siblings abducted and adopted to Denmark against their father’s will.
That believes the Indian Prosecutor leading a major case against the perpetrator, who is also accused of similar cases.
The children’s father, Ramesh Kulkarni, the year before been widowed and underwent a economically difficult time – he had therefore temporarily handed over his children in an orphanage named Preet Mandir, where he visited them regularly and hoped to get them back home.
The children were cared for temporarily go to an English school until Ramesh Kulkarni came economically on its feet and able to take them home again.
But one day the children were gone, and he got knowing that they were in Denmark. Through organization AC International Child was they ended up with two parents in Funen.
The case is now pending in the Indian courts and deals with a whole series of Indian parents, all of which have been cheated of their children. According to the indictment took place in Ramesh Kulkarnis cases like this: “Mr. Admane (from the orphanage, ed.) got him in a clever way to sign in some sheets of letterhead paper and some totally blank sheet under the pretext that these papers were needed to registry the four children at Preet Mandir and at school. ”
In the same way he got signatures from his sister and brother in law, after which they took the children themselves.
According to police investigation, the accused worked together to falsify documents for adoption, they have pushed money of both Indian and foreign parents who wanted to adopt children they have embezzled from orphanages and used the money for personal luxuries – Including scores of hotel bills from, inter alia, Hyatt Regency in Mumbai and a luxury hotel in Goa, a ruby necklace, diamond earrings as well as a long number of remittances to their family members and private accounts.
Children as commodity
Despite the fact that the matter has been thoroughly illuminated in the Danish media on several occasions, Ramesh Kulkarni today, ten years after, continued no contact with his children.
DR showed the 2007 documentary ‘A Baby Business’ created by the two Danish journalists Nicholas Vesselbo and Katja Døssing in cooperation with DR. In the film documented how adoptive has been a coveted commodity in India, and journalists went out and heard Ramesh Kulkarnis history. The distraught father dreamed only of getting her children home and was convinced that he could give them a good life, now that he had to work and had come back on its feet.
They also sought out another of the orphanage, AC International Child Support received from children and purported to be from a new Danish adoption agency.
With a hidden camera filmed the ‘business meetings’ with the orphanage owner, who offered them children 7,000 dollar apiece. “It is the most daunting task I’ve been on. We were told to the orphanage owner, we met with, was a known assassin. Authorities could also give us great concern, perhaps imprison us if they found out we were working undercover. We felt greatly threatened. I have seldom been so relieved as when we sat in the plane on the way home, “says Nicholas Vesselbo.
The film caused a sensation and was the Danish authorities to stop adoptions from India, while the case was investigated.
Family Affairs wrote to the Indian adoption authority Cara (Central Adoption Resource Agency), which corresponded back that the charges had nothing on him.
Cara could provide a copy of a consent form signed by the father and Several other studies fully correct and documents.
Everything was so in perfect order.
Ramesh Kulkarni was full of lies, when he claimed that he had been “cheated” its children and adoptions from India could resumed after a break of only four months.
Then nothing happened for a few years. However, in 2010 the case was reopened by a new Indian Attorney General, and introduced new and more experienced investigators on the study, tells adoption activist Arun Dohle from the organization Against Child Trafficking, which combats illegal adoptions.
“The new public prosecutor declared with one that applicants might was right, and a new investigation was required. And so it all came to light – corruption went all the way to the top of Cara ‘.
The new indictment of May 2010 tells in detail how Ramesh Kulkarni – Like a number of other parents – was tricked her children. The papers, Family Affairs had been submitted in 2007, according to the indictment counterfeit.
No new study The Danish authorities were informed through a new TV show in June 2010, and when Against Child Trafficking in March 2011 sent a copy of the indictment.
But this time was not introduced stop for adoption from India. There was also not a major new study. Family Affairs initiated instead a round of correspondence, where they wrote to the Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development and requested information on the case.
The letters are filled with polite phrases as’ we apologize earnestly for The short deadline ‘and’ we sincerely hope on your understanding in this very delicate case ‘and so on.
Answers come back in the same tone of voice and are full of assurances that the matter treated with the utmost seriousness and that “Cara has performed his obligations as adoption authority fully responsible’.
It also states that Preet Mandir license for adoption is suspended while the case investigated.
And then all’s well. “At the present basis, the Family Agency’s assessment, that adoption services from India to Denmark so far can be maintained ‘Decide Family Affairs.
An internal Indian matter In an email response to Politiken writes Head the adoption office Trine Heath:
“The trial is of course an internal Indian concern and we must await progress of the case and the potential impact of the case may prove to be for the parties involved and authorities’.
Arun Dohle of Against Child Trafficking says this: “I am speechless. This is an international crime. Danish parents came to India and stole, kidnapped four children, now in Denmark, where India does not have jurisdiction. It can not be an internal Indian issue, ” he said.
Politiken is familiar with the Danish family’s identity, but it has not wanted to comment. C Child, as in 2003 facilitated the adoption, writing in a mail response to Politiken that the calculator case as completed from both Danish and Indian page.
Ramesh Kulkarni struggling on with free legal aid and voluntary assistance from local NGOs.
It is now ten years since his four children disappeared to the distant Denmark.
21 February 2013 there was a great adoption conference in New Delhi. Both the Appeals Board and the Danish adoption agencies were present and during a separate meeting with the Indian adoption authority Cara got the Appeals Board merely stated that the case still pending before the courts, it appears it is a record, Politiken had access to.
In the lobby of the hotel was Ramesh Kulkarni along with ten other families believe they have been stolen their children foreign adoption, and showed pictures of their children.
15 April Ankestyrelsen [Appeals Board] wrote another letter to Cara, where they politely thanked for meeting. They stressed finally that “we trust that Cara will keep us informed about new developments in Kulkarni case. (…)
As you know, the case is obviously very delicate and a continuing cause for concern for everyone involved. We are deeply grateful for Cara’s cooperation in this regard ‘, It says.
Arun Dohle from ACT, who helped to arrange parents’ protest in Delhi, said Ramesh Kulkarni today has realized that he will never get his children back.
His greatest hope is to make contact with them so he can get their blessing to enter into a new marriage and move on with his life.
Dorrit SAIETZ
