MUMBAI: In a shocking case of illegal adoption and forgery, the Mumbai Police have booked two women from Thane district for conspiring to adopt a newborn illegally by deceiving the administration of KEM Hospital and falsifying identity documents.
The case came to light following a medical emergency that led to the children hospitalisation at Bai Jerbai Wadia Children Hospital in Parel, Mumbai.
The accused, identified as Shilpa Ajay Pandey (38) and Shahnaz Parveen Rehmat Ali Shaikh (34) (also known as Sharmeen Pathan (37) in some reports), are residents of Kalyan (East), Thane. While Pandey is currently on the run, the police have served a notice to Pathan.
The case has been registered under various sections of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to police sources, Pandey, who comes from a financially distressed background, became pregnant last year but did not want to keep the child due to her husband’s alcoholism and the family’s financial difficulties. During her pregnancy, Pandey met Pathan, who was unable to conceive due to medical complications and was looking to adopt a child.
The two women allegedly struck a deal for the adoption but decided to bypass the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) — the statutory body overseeing legal adoptions in India. To execute their plan, Pandey delivered the baby at KEM Hospital, Mumbai on 11 October 2024, but falsely used Pathan’s name and identification documents, including her Aadhaar card, to register the birth.
This deception led to the issuance of a birth certificate naming Pathan as the mother. The hospital administration, failing to detect the fraud, discharged the baby on 15 October 2024.
The conspiracy unraveled when the child, named Mahira Shaikh, developed a severe appendicitis and was admitted to Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital on 28 January 2025. During the treatment, which involved surgery and subsequent infection management, discrepancies in the child’s documentation and statements by Pathan raised suspicions. Pathan eventually admitted that the child was not biologically hers.
The hospital alerted the Sakhi Centre and the local police, who began an investigation. The Thane District Child Protection Unit was also notified, and a complaint was filed by Shraddha Santosh Narkar (43), a Center Coordinator at Child Helpline 1098, who has been working in women and child welfare for the past 14 years.
Upon investigation, the police visited Pathan’s residence at Kalyan East, Thane. Pathan revealed that the child’s biological mother was Shilpa Ajay Pandey, who had agreed to give up the baby due to her family’s financial struggles. Pandey had impersonated Pathan during her admission at KEM Hospital, presenting Pathan’s Aadhaar card to secure the birth certificate under a false name.
The case was registered at Kalyan and transferred to Bhoiwada police in Mumbai for further investigation. Police have registered a case under multiple sections of the IPC, including Section 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), Section 468 (Forgery for the purpose of cheating), Section 471 (Using a forged document as genuine) Section 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention)
Additionally, charges under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 have been filed, specifically Section 80 (Prohibition of sale and procurement of children for adoption in contravention of the Act) Section 81 (Punishment for illegal adoption).
The police are also investigating possible lapses in the hospital’s protocols for verifying identity documents. The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has been informed, and the child has been taken into protective custody.