India asks Germany to return 2-year-old Indian girl in foster care

3/6/2023 18:02

        India on Friday urged Germany to send back a 2-year-old Indian girl who has been in its foster case system for more than 20 months, saying it infringed on "her social, cultural and linguistic rights."
        
        Ariha Shah was taken from her Indian parents by German authorities in Berlin in September 2021 when she was seven months old. Her father was working in Germany at the time, but the parents have since returned to India.
        
        Shah's parents, according to Indian media reports, said she was accidentally injured by her grandmother, who was visiting from India, and authorities placed the girl in the custody of Germany’s Youth Welfare Office when they took her to hospital.
        
        Her custody has since become a diplomatic issue, with New Delhi taking it up with Germany's foreign minister during a visit to India in December.