PM Modi raised Ariha case with Merz, says Misri

Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the case of Ariha Shah, an Indian child who has been in German foster care since 2021, during his discussions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Monday.

Briefing media, Misri said India had been involved in sustained engagement with the German authorities and believed the matter should now be approached primarily from a humanitarian perspective.

“We have been in discussions with the German government, their embassy in Delhi and agencies in Berlin for quite some time. This case was, at one point, a legal matter, but we believe it should ultimately be approached keeping in mind the humanitarian issues involved," Misri said.

He said the government was fully aware of the family’s distress and was making every effort to assist them. India was also seeking to ensure that Ariha was raised as far as possible in an Indian cultural environment.

Misri said the PM had specifically raised the issue with Merz and that India would continue to follow up with the German government, assuring continued support to the family.

Ariha was taken into foster care by German child protection services in September 2021 and has remained under their custody since. Civil society group Save Ariha Team has said all police cases against the child’s parents were closed in February 2022, but Ariha's custody had not been restored.

The group has further alleged that there are currently no active legal proceedings related to Ariha’s custody, leaving her future uncertain. It has raised concerns over what it describes as the denial of the child’s Indian cultural, religious and linguistic identity.