"Working Closely With India To Find Solution": German Diplomat On Baby Ariha Case

Germany is working closely with the Indian government to find a solution "acceptable to all sides" amid the demand for the return of baby Ariha Shah to India, a senior German diplomat said on Monday.

Ariha Shah is in foster care in Germany and India has said that it is important for her to be in her linguistic, cultural and social environment.

"This is a long story...but what I can say is that we are working closely with the Indian government on finding a solution that is acceptable to all sides," German Deputy Head of Mission, Georg Enzweiler told ANI on the sidelines of an event here.

He was asked about India's demand concerning Ariha Shah and of reports that her foster care could change again in May this year.

India has conveyed to Germany its desire to safeguard the child's cultural and national identity and ensure her return to the country and has been engaged with German authorities in this regard.

Ariha Shah was accidentally hurt by her grandmother in September 2021 when she was seven months old, following which the German authorities took the baby away. Ariha's family had urged the Indian government to look into their matter and the External Affairs Ministry has consistently raised the issue with the German authorities.

Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that India does not want baby Ariha to be away from her own culture and environment as she is in the custody of Child Services in Germany.

He said that some Indian embassy officials have been spending time with Ariha and they have been trying to find some solution so that the girl is taught about her own culture.

The German Deputy Head of Mission declined to comment on another query related to suspended JD-S leader Prajwal Revanna, who some opposition parties have said has gone to Germany, saying he had "read this in newspapers but were not aware of the details".

"No comments on that because I have read this in newspapers but we are not aware of the details of this. Indeed, we have heard about that but I am not sure whether that is the case," Enzweiler told ANI.

The senior German diplomat was asked about reports that Prajwal Revanna had fled to Germany as the "obscene video" case surfaced.

A political row has erupted concerning Prajwal Revanna, who has been booked by Karnataka Police in obscene video case, "having left the country" and claims of some opposition parties that he had gone to Germany.

Congress and AIMIM are among the political parties who have claimed that Revanna has gone to Germany.

All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba on Monday demanded Prajwal Revanna, who is MP from Hassan, be deported to India from Germany and that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should write to the Minister of External Affairs on the issue.

Revanna was booked in an alleged sexual harassment case on April 28 following complaints by his former housekeeper.

The case has been registered under sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC on charges of sexual harassment, intimidation and outraging the dignity of a woman. As per the complaint, the victim has claimed that Prajwal Revanna and his father HD Revanna had sexually assaulted her. Revanna is the grandson of party supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.

The Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged obscene video case against Prajwal Revanna.

Earlier in the day, the JD(S) core committee recommended the suspension of Prajwal Revanna.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)