Nursing Home Owner Arrested in Udupi for Illegal Child Adoption
By ETF Desk
On June 25, 2024, authorities in Udupi detained a nursing home owner, Neelakanta Prasad, and three other individuals from the Dhanush Nursing Home for allegedly adopting children without valid legal documentation.
The nursing home, situated on Gokulpur Road in Manipal, has been operating since 2012 with a small license permitting elder care. However, the police investigation uncovered that the facility was also being used as an unofficial adoption agency, taking in children from various villages and providing them with false adoption papers. According to a police statement, the group forged documents and took advantage of lax oversight in child custody registrations. Local child welfare authorities had previously raised concerns about the home’s unregistered status but no major enforcement action was taken until the current probe revealed extensive irregularities.
The arrests have sparked an immediate review of all registered nursing homes and child care facilities in the district. The Udupi child protection department has pledged to tighten licensing procedures and conduct on‑site inspections. Residents of the area expressed relief that the authorities have acted swiftly, while legal experts warn that similar cases may be more common than recorded, urging stronger regulatory frameworks. Source: Google News – Udupi.