PM Modi raises concern over Baby Ariha with German Chancellor

PM Modi raises concern over Baby Ariha with German Chancellor

News Desk

Last Updated: 12 January 2026, 03:51 PM IST Read more at:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised the case of Baby Ariha Shah, an Indian girl in German foster care, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz share a light moment during their interaction while travelling together, in Gujarat.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken up the case of Baby Ariha Shah, an Indian girl in German foster care, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, calling for efforts to ensure her safe return to India after all allegations against her parents were cleared, according to MEA reports.

Ariha has been in German foster care since September 2021, when she was seven months old and placed under custody by German child services following a domestic accident. She has remained in foster care for over four years and has been moved across five different homes.

Her parents were fully cleared by German authorities in February 2022, yet Ariha continues to reside in foster care. Kinjal Shah, the child’s aunt, said Ariha is “held against her will” despite no charges against her parents and called for a dialogue between the Indian and German governments to secure her repatriation.

The Save Ariha Team, including Henil Visariya, urged both governments to act, noting that German authorities had initially questioned the parents’ ability to care for Ariha but later exonerated them. The group emphasised that the child’s upbringing should preserve her cultural and familial ties.

The Indian government reportedly raised the matter during discussions with the German Foreign Minister, and PM Modi reiterated his concerns ahead of Chancellor Merz’s visit to India. The Ministry of External Affairs said progress is being made to resolve the matter in a manner that safeguards the child’s welfare.

The case highlights the challenges of international foster care and child custody, particularly when parental rights and legal clearances conflict with ongoing child welfare procedures.

Published: 12 Jan 2026, 03:51 pm IST