'Jain community hopeful of positive development in Ariha case during Scholz's visit'

Ahmedabad: The Jain community was hopeful that the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will pave the way for the repatriation of Ariha Shah, a community leader said here on Thursday.

Ariha has been in foster care in Germany for more than three years following allegations of minor physical abuse. Her parents Bhavesh and Dhara Shah are Jains hailing from Thane district in Maharashtra.

Following German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann's statement on the issue ahead of Scholz's India visit starting from Thursday, the community hopes there would be a positive outcome, said Yatin Shah who has been heading the `SAVE ARIHA' campaign.

The girl is now three-and-half years old. "The Jain community's only demand is repatriation of Ariha, who was taken away from her parents in Germany when she was only seven months old. We are hoping for a positive outcome during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chancellor Scholz. We are confident that Modi will use his influence to bring back India's daughter," Shah told PTI.

The German government must also understand that `justice delayed is justice denied', he said.

"Ambassador Ackermann must not forget that an innocent Indian child has been in prison for the last three years without any valid and logical reason and all her cultural, religious and linguistic rights are being violated by his German Child Services. We have already conveyed to MEA that Ariha is in danger in Germany and every day is crucial for her," Shah further said.

The Jain community will soon share the details of the "inhuman treatment Ariha is subjected to and how her basic rights are being violated in Germany", he said.

On October 23, ambassador Ackermann told reporters in Delhi that German authorities were in "very close contact" with India's Ministry of External Affairs and the relevant youth authorities in connection with Ariha's case.

Asked whether her issue will be discussed during the German Chancellor's visit, he told reporters "we have clearly a commitment by the foster parents to look into this cultural background, and on this basis we continue to work to find a satisfactory solution for the future of the child.

"So, it might be raised, it is a clear possibility that it might be raised and I think, my side, my government is prepared...," he had said.

Ariha Shah was placed in the custody of Germany's Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt) on September 23, 2021, after the then seven month-old baby suffered an accidental injury. She was born in Berlin in 2021 where her father, a software engineer, moved in 2018 with his wife.