DNA tests of 6 children, adults conducted at Civil Hospital

After a committee was formed by the district administration to ensure seamless execution of the DNA testing, the District Child Protection officer (DCPO) accompanied by health and police officials conducted the DNA testing of six children at the Civil Hospital here.

On July 21, the district child protection team had to face embarrassment as the Health Department had refused to conduct the DNA testing, citing lack of documentation. Following the development, on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain established a committee to ensure seamless execution of the DNA testing. The committee comprises the DCPO, representatives from the Commissioner of Police and the Civil Surgeon, tasked with overseeing the testing process under the Project Jeevanjot 2.0 to combat child trafficking and exploitation.

Talking to The Tribune, DCPO Rashmi Saini said wards of six children had come to claim their kids but failed to produce any documents such as Aadhaar card and birth certificates. They were brought to the Civil Hospital for the DNA testing. Samples were taken by a team of doctors.

“Till the DNA report of these children is pending, they will continue to stay at Heavenly Palace, an old-age home, in Doraha and their mothers can also stay with them. Children will be allowed to leave the old-age home only when their DNA samples would confirm their biological relations. Even the other children whose parents had not come to claim them have been putting up at this place only,” the DCPO said.

She said of the 18 children rescued, who were found begging on city roads, parents of only one child proved their biological relationship by showing the Aadhaar card and birth certificate. Parents of the remaining 11 children have failed to come to claim them due to which the latter are also kept at the old-age home.

One of the child during a counselling session claimed that his parents stay in Muktsar and he had been staying with his maternal grandmother in Ludhiana. The district child protection unit, here, contacted the DCPO, Muktsar, to trace his parents. Sources said reports of DNA samples take over a month to arrive from the forensic science laboratory.

Ludhiana