At the heart of a complex legal and emotional battle is a three-year-old girl discovered at Mathura railway station. The child, currently under the care of a Children’s Protection Home, is the subject of conflicting claims by two women asserting to be her biological mother. The situation has escalated further with an individual arrested for kidnapping also staking a claim.
The child’s presence at Mathura railway station traces back to an unsettling incident earlier in the year. On January 7, Haridwar resident Phoolwati reported a distressing incident to authorities. She alleged that her daughter was abducted from the very station as she awaited a train bound for Bharatpur, Rajasthan.
The plot thickened when, almost ten months later on October 10, the police apprehended five individuals at another Mathura railway station. Among them was Heena Chauhan, detained under suspicions of involvement in child kidnapping. Alongside the arrests, a three-year-old girl was discovered in their company. Investigations linked the arrested individuals to a notorious child-lifting syndicate, prompting the Mathura railway police to file a kidnapping case against them.
In a subsequent development, Phoolwati identified the child as her missing daughter, recognizing a distinctive mark on the child’s back. However, the case took another turn when Heena Chauhan’s husband, Raja Chauhan, asserted his paternity over the child. As legal complexities mounted, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) intervened, directing authorities to conduct a DNA test to definitively establish the child’s parentage.
Blood samples were collected from multiple parties, including Phoolwati, Heena, and Phoolwati’s incarcerated husband, Karan. However, in the absence of definitive documentation from Phoolwati regarding the child’s birth, the CWC made the decision to place the child under the protective custody of a Children’s Protection Home. The final resolution awaits the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, which will play a crucial role in determining the child’s future and rightful guardianship.
