Many keen to adopt girl orphaned after Farrukhabad hostage episode

The Uttar Pradesh Police is getting a lot of calls from across India and abroad to adopt the one-year-old girl whose parents died during an operation to rescue 23 children taken hostage by her father in Farrukhabad.

"We have made a fixed deposit (FD) of Rs 1 lakh (in the name of the girl) that we got as a reward for Farrukhabad operation. We are also getting calls from across India and abroad to adopt the girl," IG Kanpur range Mohit Agarwal told PTI.

Agarwal, who is also bearing daily expenses of the girl, said they are getting calls not only from Indian cities like Bengaluru and New Delhi but also from London and the US.

"Whosoever adopts the girl, will have to complete all the legal formalities. We will hand over the girl after due verification," he said.

The girl's father Subhash Batham was shot dead after police rescued 23 children he had taken hostage at his home in Farrukhabad's Kasaria village on January 30.

Her mother Ruby Katheriya was lynched by angry parents as she tried to escape from the house, police said.

"At present, the child is in Farrukhabad with a woman employee in the police department and she is taking great care of her," Agarwal said.