Who Is Baby Ariha, Living In German Foster Home And Why She Was Separated From Her Parents?

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently discussed the case of Baby Ariha, a 3-year-old Indian girl who has been living in a foster care home in Germany since the past three years following allegations of minor physical abuse against her parents. 

Who is Baby Ariha?

Ariha Shah was born in Germany’s Berlin in 2021. Her father’s name is Bhavesh Shah, who is a software engineer from Gujarat . He moved to Berlin in 2018 with his wife Dhara.

Why Baby Ariha was separated from her parents?

Ariha Shah was separated from her parents when she was 7 months old. She was taken to a foster home — care homes in Germany — by Germany authorities after alleged complaints against her parents that they abused her. She was taken to a Germany foster home on September 23, 2021.

What Ariha’s parents say?

According to Ariha’s mother Dhara, when she was born, her grandmother had visited them in Berlin. However, she accidentally hurt the child's outer genital area which caused an injury.

What German authorities suspect?

When her parents took her to hospital for the treatment, Germany authorities suspected the injury as a result of some sexual assault. Following this, they shifted the child to a foster care home. Her parents, Bhavesh Shah and Dhara were only allowed to visit her once in fortnight.

A case of child sexual abuse was also filed against her parents. However, the assault charges against the parents were dropped later, but the authorities continued blaming the parents for negligence.

In 2022, the case against the parents was dropped but the baby was still not returned to them.

Why Ariha was not returned to parents even after case was dropped?

In 2022, a civil custody case filed against parents by Jugendamt – A German and Austrian local agency that promotes the welfare of children and youth – to terminate the rights of the parents for her custody. And since then, the couple has been fighting for the rights of custody of their daughter.

What Indian government says on the case?

India has urged Germany to return and allow the custody of the baby to her parents pressing that it’s important for the toddler to be in her linguistic, religious, cultural and social environment. However responding to the Indian government, Germany said that the child was placed in foster care after her parents allegedly harassed her.

MEA closely following the case

The Indian embassy is also in touch with German officials regarding the Ariha Shah case and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has raised the issue with his German counterpart, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Friday.

PM Modi raises Baby Ariha’s case with German Chancellor Ola Scholz

In a latest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the case with Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday (October 25), since the latter was in the country.

Giving a brief account of what PM Modi and Olaf Scholz discussed, Foreign Secretary said, “The case has been followed very, very closely by us.... Our embassy in Berlin has taken it up. When the external affairs minister was in Germany a few weeks ago, he had raised it very strongly with his counterpart," Misri said.

"Yes, I can confirm that it was raised during the meeting today as well. We have at all levels impressed upon the German side that an Indian child growing up in an environment that is not hers -- cultural, religious, linguistic environment -- is somewhat unnatural and that this situation needs to be addressed," he added.

The foreign secretary said Scholz assured Modi that "he is very closely following this issue and continues to pay close attention to it", adding, “I am sure that both sides will remain in touch on this issue through various channels.”

German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann had said on Wednesday that German authorities are in "very close contact" with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the relevant youth authorities in connection with the case of Ariha Shah.

With inputs from agencies