Who is Ariha Shah? Why did India intervene in the case of a 4-year-old girl?

During the bilateral talks with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, foreign minister Jaishankar urged the government to return Indian baby girl Ariha Shah to her homeland without further delay.

Ariha Shah's mother Dhara Shah.

Credit: PTI Photo

In the recent meeting between Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his German counterpart Johann Wadephul in New Delhi, the former urged the return of Ariha Shah, a 4 years old Indian baby girl to India after spending over 40 months separated from her parents in German foster care.

During the talks with Wadephul, Jaishankar said, “I raised the issue of Ariha Shah, an Indian child who has been in foster care of German authorities for some time. I underlined to the Minister that it is essential that her cultural rights are ensured and she grows up in Indian surroundings.”

He urged the government to return the girl to her homeland without further delay.

Who is Ariha Shah?

On September 17, 2021, seven-months-old Ariha Shah was taken to hospital in Berlin by her parents after they noticed bleeding while changing her diaper. The hospital alerted the German Child Services leading to separation from her parental custody on charges of child abuse.

For people not in the know, Ariha was born in 2021 to Bhavesh Shah, a software engineer from Gujarat, who had moved to Berlin with her wife Dhara in 2021.

The Jugendamt (Youth Welfare Office) alleged that her parents had harassed her.

The case was closed with no formal charges following India's intervention in February 2022. Jugendamt filed a civil custody case seeking termination of the couple’s parental rights and continuing Ariha’s placement in foster care due to the parent's negligence.

Latest India's intervention in Ariha's case:

Indian embassy in Berlin pressed the government to return the baby stating it is important for the child to grow up in her linguistic, religious, cultural and social environment.

The meeting between Jaishankar and Wadephul marked the first high-level exchange since Chancellor Friedrich Merz assumed office, with Jaishankar not missing the opportunity to highlight Ariha’s case.

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, raised the issue with German chancellor Olaf Scholz during their bilateral meeting in New Delhi.