A new pattern of child trafficking by Islamists has emerged from the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. In this case, a newborn girl who lost her mother after delivery was illegally taken by a Muslim couple from the hospital. Not only did they take custody of the infant, but they also changed her name and religion on official documents, listing themselves as her guardians. Initially reported by local media, the case prompted the intervention of members of the Madhya Pradesh State Child Commission. Upon their arrival at the hospital and subsequent tracking of the child, she was relocated to a government shelter home. However, the accused still roam free.
MP Child Commission took note
On March 5, the MP Child Commission issued a notice (number: 741/2025). According to this notice, the commission informed the district collector about the illegal conversion that took place at the government hospital. The letter detailed that a woman, admitted to the hospital in critical condition after being found at the railway station, gave birth to the child. Following this, the infant was taken by a Muslim couple and her identity was altered. The commission demanded an action report within seven days.
Letter to National Human Rights Commission
Despite nearly a month passing, no action has been taken. On March 21, the commission wrote to the Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, Priyank Kanoongo, detailing the incident. According to letter number 1866/2025, on February 4, 2025, a woman named Vimal was discovered near the toilet on platform 01 of Sagar railway station by a passer by, who called emergency services. The woman was admitted to district hospital ward 06, where she identified herself as Vimla Dhakad, wife of Dilip Dhakad from Dongarkhedi, Guna district, MP.
In ward number 06, another patient, Shabana B, wife of Maqbool from Parkota, Sagar district, informed her relative Hina Bano, wife of Abdul Rasheed, about a baby girl whose mother was critically ill. On February 10, 2025, Hina Bano admitted the baby to the children’s ward with the assistance of hospital staff. She registered the baby’s name as Fatima in all hospital documents. Consequently, hospital records listed the newborn girl, originally named Aarti Dhakad, as Hina Fatima in the paperwork related to her admission to the NRC (Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre).
On February 16, 2025, Vimla Dhakad left the district hospital with her son Akhilesh. The next night, February 17, at 10 PM, Vimla succumbed to her illness. Jyoti Tiwari from the Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) informed the Child Welfare Committee about the deceased woman and her five-year-old son, Akhilesh. The committee admitted Akhilesh to Sanjeevani Bal Ashram Sagar. On February 19, 2025, police from Kent Sagar took Akhilesh to his residence to identify his family members.
On February 19, the Child Welfare Committee learned that the deceased woman had another child, a newborn girl. The committee immediately took cognisance and investigated at the district hospital. They found that the deceased Vimla’s baby girl, named Aarti, was admitted to the NRC ward. However, hospital documents listed her name as Fatima, with Abdul Rasheed as the father and Hina as the mother. Akhilesh, the deceased woman’s son, confirmed his sister’s real name as Aarti.
What has been done so far?
Following this revelation, the Child Welfare Committee issued several directives:
· On February 18, 2025, letter no. 1662(A) admitted Akhilesh to Sanjeevani Bal Ashram Sagar.
· On February 19, 2025, letter no. 1667 admitted Aarti to the NRC ward.
· On February 21, 2025, letter no. 1683-1684 instructed the Civil Surgeon of District-Sagar to keep Aarti in the newborn ward until she fully recovered.
· On the same day, letter no. 1685 ordered her transfer to Sagar Sevabharati Matrichhaya Shishugrih Sagar for further care.
· Letter no. 1686 was sent to the Superintendent of Police, Sagar, for necessary action.
· On March 4, 2025, letters no. 1693 and 1695 were sent to the Superintendent of Police, Sagar, requesting hospital records related to Aarti and her deceased mother, Vimla.
Currently, the girl is under institutional rehabilitation at Sagar Sevabharati Matrichhaya in a completely safe and healthy condition, with no further dispute.
What local media reported
On March 5, 2025, media reports revealed that a case of illegal adoption and name change of a newborn had surfaced at Sagar District Hospital. A family from Shanichari took the baby girl under their care and admitted her to the NRC ward under a different name. After the issue gained public attention, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Hindu organisations objected, leading to the baby’s transfer to Matru Chhaya Ashram.
According to the Child Welfare Committee, the woman, a resident of Guna district, died on February 17 at Bundelkhand Medical College (BMC). While her son was sent to a shelter, it was only two days later that authorities realised she also had a newborn daughter. When CWC members contacted the SJPU, the police initially denied knowledge of the baby.
Following the CWC’s directive, the SJPU visited the hospital, collected information, and located the missing baby, who had been taken by another family. Omkar Singh from the Child Rights Protection Commission wrote to the Superintendent of Police, urging the baby’s rescue. Hospital documents confirmed that her name and parentage had been altered, with “adopted” marked in the records.
To verify facts, the CWC visited the shelter home and spoke to Akhilesh. He confirmed having a baby sister who was taken by a woman at the hospital. He stated he had informed the police about this when he was sent to the shelter.
Shabana, the woman from the family that took the baby, explained, “We were in the same ward as the baby’s mother. The woman and her child were in poor condition, so we cared for the baby, cleaned her, and fed her. When we asked the doctor to admit her, he said someone needed to take responsibility. To save her life, we took responsibility and got her admitted under a name. We didn’t know her real name. Now we are being accused of stealing her.”
The baby’s renaming as “Fatima” sparked outrage among Hindu organisations, who accused the family of religious conversion and blamed hospital authorities for negligence. Activists demanded strict action against those involved.
Dr. Umesh Saraf of Hindu Jagran Manch stated, “The doctor should have informed senior officials. The doctor is at fault. The family changed the baby’s name to Fatima, which is wrong. Action should be taken, or we will protest.”
Defending the act, the woman responsible said, “We only wanted to save her life.” Dr. R.S. Jayant, the Civil Surgeon, confirmed, “I was told a baby was admitted to the NRC. A CID officer informed me that her mother had passed away.”
As of now, no instructions or steps have been initiated regarding this issue. Organiser will provide updates as the situation progresses.
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