Mandir: After phone threat, FB messages distrub complainant

OVER a month after advocate Anjali Pawar-Kate, director of voluntary organisation Sakhee and the main complainant in the alleged Preet Mandir adoption racket approached Sahakarnagar police over telephone threats believed to be from a member of a South African adoptive family, she’s now troubled by derogatory messages on Facebook, posted in the community ‘Against Child Trafficking’ on FB, by some other international adoptive families.

“Although the messages do not name me, anyone familiar with the case will understand they are targeted at me. I tried approaching police, but they replied nothing much can be done except writing a letter to the Central Adoption Resources Agency (CARA) to request the families to stop posting such messages,” said Kate.

The messages began in early in November when an adoptive parent wrote to Pawar stating ‘...Babies are victims, and in this case also adoptive parents are victims. And You? You are only an activist...

You can also use these poor and sick babies for political interests. You have your affairs, your business, because this is your work and you’r doing it very well (I foresee a bright future for you!). Certainly this is not a charitable mission...’ Another message reads ‘.. Shame!’

At least four similar messages have been posted on Facebook. “This is emotional harrassment and there is no way of retaliating. The police at least filed a non-cognisable complaint after the threat call on phone. But they seem helpless in this matter.

It is becoming difficult for me to concentrate on the case due to these messages,” Pawar said. 

It was in 2007 that Pawar had filed a criminal writ petition in the Bombay High Court against an alleged adoption racket in Preet Mandir. In May this year, the CBI registered a case against Preet Mandir managing trustee Joginder Singh Bhasin and some state government officials for alleged involvement in an inter-country adoption racket. 

Bhasin was arrested in August after which he was let out on conditional bail.