Overview
- Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said the prime minister raised the case during talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad and that India will keep following up.
- German authorities continue to hold legal custody through Jugendamt under family-court orders, with the parents allowed supervised visits twice a month and periodic consular access granted to India.
- India is seeking measures for cultural immersion, including interactions with Indian communities, participation in festivals and Hindi learning, as Germany has noted ongoing language classes and discussions on teaching Hindi.
- Medical experts ruled out sexual assault in December 2021 and prosecutors dropped charges in February 2022, yet German courts maintained foster placement citing the child’s best interests and upheld decisions on appeal in 2024.
- Family members and activists renewed appeals for repatriation, reporting multiple foster-home moves and bills of roughly ₹22 lakh for foster care plus about ₹16 lakh in administrative and legal costs.