Srinagar, Dec 2 (Agency) Authorities in Kashmir valley on Thursday sealed the office of a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) and arrested two persons at Pampore township, allegedly involved in the sale of children, who lost their parents to Covid-19. Police Station Pampore received a written application from the Chairperson of Child Welfare Committee (CWC), District Pulwama for registration of FIR in alleged illegal adoption and sale of Covid orphans in Pampore area. A case was filed under relevant Sections of law in Police Station Pampore and investigation was initiated. Two accused, identified as Mohd Amin Rather, resident of Bemina and Aijaz Ahmed Dar, resident of Pampore, were arrested in the case. Investigation revealed that the accused were running a trust in Samboora, Pampore by the name of Global Welfare Charitable Trust, established in 2020. The said trust has been sealed and essential documents and records were seized.
Further investigation was going on in the case and more recoveries were expected, police said. Earlier, official sources said police and government officials raided the office of Global Welfare Charitable Trust in Samboora area of Pampore township in south Kashmir district of Pulwama, for alleged involvement of Trust members in the sale of Covid Orphans and sealed the office. The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday lodged an FIR after the alleged illegal adoption and sale of Covid orphans came to the notice of Mission Director, Integrated Child Protection Service (ICPS), Jammu and Kashmir. A non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) had brought into the notice of ICPS a news article appearing on a number of online portals regarding the alleged sale of Covid orphans by two persons. The Mission Director, ICPS had directed the authorities concerned and an FIR was lodged at Police Station Pampore against the accused. Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Sheetal Nanda, had also taken up the issue with IGP, Kashmir Vijay Kumar for immediate action in the matter under relevant laws In addition, Mission Director of ICPS J&K, Shabnam Kamili, had issued instant orders to Child Welfare Committees to meet Covid orphans personally, which were already identified by the department and uploaded on different online portals of the Government of India and asked to submit a report to the Directorate of ICPS within a day’s time. Fact-finding committees were also constituted for Jammu and Kashmir divisions in order to ascertain the number of orphans and Covid orphans and their well-being in all districts of the UT.