Woman adopted by US couple has nowhere to go

Swati Deshpande

TNN

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday issued notices to the central government and the Central Adoption and Resources Authority (CARA) seeking its response to a petition filed by 27-year-old Jennifer Haines, an Indian adopted by a US couple about 20 years ago who was sent back to India sans her documents and a nationality.

Advocate Pradeep Havnur, Jennifer's lawyer, said she was sent back on a travel document which was a "mere slip of paper'' and she does not have either her passport of the United States nor of India. He questioned how the Indian government permitted her to enter the country.

The petition, while alleging abuse at the hands of her adoptive father and subsequent foster homes, has also questioned the role of the American agency which facilitated the inter-country adoption and had given the Indian court a solemn undertaking that Jennifer would be taken care of in her adopted home. The HC bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice D Y Chandrachud also issued a notice to the trustee of KUAN-YIN charity trust.

The Centre said it wanted time to file its reply.

Jennifer, who is a mother of two, currently has nowhere to stay and no means to support herself. She wants the HC to get CARA to deregister or ban the Americans for International Aid and Adoptions and similar other agencies which are involved in inter-country adoptions. Jenifer said she also wants to track down her biological mother now that she is in India.