Kathmandu, 05 October (H.S.): A sensational disclosure has emerged concerning “Bhrunaka Aawajharu,” an organisation in Kathmandu allegedly operating with church funding. The organisation has been accused of forcing young women between the ages of 18 and 22 to continue pregnancies and give birth, after which their newborn babies were allegedly handed over illegally to other families as adopted sons or daughters. An investigation has reportedly found indications that office-bearers of the organisation and church representatives were involved in these alleged illegal activities.

According to the findings, young women who became pregnant and did not wish to keep their babies were housed at the organisation’s shelter. After they gave birth there, their newborns were allegedly handed over to other people without completing the legally required adoption procedures.

Under the prevailing laws of Nepal, a district court's permission is mandatory for a child to be given to another person as an adopted son or daughter within Nepal. The court can grant permission for adoption only after examining whether the prescribed legal requirements have been fulfilled.

According to the investigation, the organisation, which operated with financial assistance from the US-based organisation Life International, the 10/40 Connection and the Nepali Church Society, provided shelter to young women with unwanted pregnancies. After the babies were born, they were allegedly handed over to other families. The organisation was registered in 2009. However, it has not yet been established when such activities began.

The Godawari Municipality in Kathmandu conducted an inspection of the organisation on April 15, 2026. After the inspection reportedly found that children were being handed over illegally for adoption, the municipality prepared a report. The report was kept confidential. It clearly stated that legal provisions had not been followed while handing over the children in this manner.

The investigation found that pregnant teenagers and young women were housed at the shelter. They were taken to hospitals for delivery and, after the birth, the mothers were separated from their newborns. The mothers were then allegedly made to sign documents stating that the organisation would keep the children under its care. After approximately three months, the young women would leave the organisation without their babies.

Once the children came under the organisation's care, they were allegedly handed over to other people without any legal procedure, based on contacts maintained by the organisation's office-bearers. There is no clear figure available on how many children have been transferred in this manner so far. However, the organisation's office-bearers claim that the children were handed over only to people within Nepal.

The investigation found that at least 27 pregnant teenagers and young women had stayed at the organisation. They were brought to the organisation through churches, local government authorities or acquaintances. The most serious finding was that some women who had become pregnant after being sexually assaulted had also stayed at the organisation. It is alleged that, instead of informing the police and initiating legal action against the accused in such cases, the organisation's office-bearers kept the incidents confidential. After the babies were born, the children were allegedly retained by the organisation while the mothers were sent away.

The organisation's current chairperson, Sujan Kunwar, claimed that the affected women themselves did not want legal action to be taken against the men accused of the alleged offences. In her statement, she said the organisation's objective was to discourage abortion and encourage women to give birth to their children. Kunwar acknowledged that children were handed over to other families. However, there was no indication that any prescribed legal procedure had been followed in the process.

According to her, before a child was handed over to a third person, the child was first given to the girl's parents or guardians, after which paperwork was processed in the name of the third person through those guardians. She also acknowledged that, after the child was allegedly handed over unlawfully in this manner, the child's birth registration was also carried out in the name of the new family.

According to her statement recorded in the report, children were separated from their mothers within seven to 10 days of birth to prevent an emotional bond from developing between the mother and newborn. It was also acknowledged that the mothers were given turmeric water to help suppress lactation, while the babies were given Lactogen.

The organisation's director, Sonam Rai, also acknowledged that the required legal procedures were not completed when children were given to other people as adopted sons or daughters. According to his statement recorded in the report, he explicitly said, “I do not know under which law the children are transferred.” He also acknowledged that children given away by the organisation as adopted children could potentially be brought back, but said that no monitoring of them had been carried out so far.

The organisation's assistant secretary, Bimala Khatri, also said during the inspection that the organisation was not aware of the legal procedure for handing newborn babies over to other people. She said young women who became pregnant because of family problems, romantic relationships or exploitation came to the organisation. She also acknowledged that the organisation did not file police complaints seeking legal action against those accused of sexual violence.

Chairperson Kunwar claimed that the organisation operates on humanitarian grounds and that no financial transactions were involved. However, questions have been raised over the claim because the investigation found that legal procedures had allegedly been disregarded. According to the report, the organisation claims to have maintained records of the people to whom the children were handed over, but no monitoring was conducted to determine the children's present circumstances.

The organisation, whose office is located in Godawari Municipality, has stated in its audit report that it operates a mother-and-child home and undertakes capacity-building activities. The organisation's chairperson is Sushasan Rai, while its administrative work was reportedly being conducted from the residence of Executive Director Soman Rai. The organisation's major sources of funding include foreign assistance and in-kind support from a donor organisation based in the United States and the Nepali Church Society. It has also reportedly received support through a system under which 10 percent of income is contributed to the Nepali Church Society.

Most of the people who took the children had reportedly come into contact with the organisation through its office-bearers or intermediaries. Details about their family circumstances, however, have not emerged. Before a child is given for adoption, it is necessary to examine the prospective family's economic and social circumstances.

Based on the facts found during the inspection and statements given by office-bearers and employees of “Bhrunaka Aawajharu,” the activities of the organisation have been described as highly suspicious. Their statements have also raised a number of questions regarding the manner in which pregnant women were sheltered, children were separated from their mothers and newborns were subsequently handed over to other families.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the available findings do not by themselves establish criminal liability. Authorities are expected to determine the facts and legal responsibility through further investigation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar