In 2016, a two-year-old girl was taken from Amsterdam and brought to India, setting off a cross-border legal battle that remains unresolved nearly a decade later.
This is the story of Insiya Hemani, whose abduction in 2016 sparked a cross-border legal battle, criminal convictions in the Netherlands and diplomatic discussions between India and the Netherlands.
Several people recently tagged Brut and asked us to look into her case.
Here's what happened and why it remains unresolved today.
A Family Dispute That Crossed Borders
The story begins in 2016.
At the time, Insiya's parents had separated. Her mother, Nadia Rashid, had custody rights under orders issued by Dutch courts.
On 29 September 2016, Insiya was staying at her grandmother's home in Amsterdam. According to Dutch investigators, a group of men arrived and took the two-year-old child away.
The incident was later described by authorities as a planned abduction.
How Insiya Was Taken To India
Dutch investigators concluded that the operation had been organised on behalf of Insiya's father, Shehzad Hemani.
Authorities said Insiya was first taken out of the Netherlands, travelled through Germany and was eventually brought to India.
What began as a custody dispute had now become an international legal case.
Dutch authorities launched an investigation, while Nadia Rashid began a long legal battle to bring her daughter back.
The Court Rulings
Over the following years, Dutch courts examined the case.
Shehzad Hemani was convicted in absentia for his role in the abduction and sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison.
Several others accused of participating in the operation were also convicted.
The convictions were later upheld by the Dutch Supreme Court.
Despite these rulings, Hemani was never extradited to the Netherlands. Insiya also did not return.
As a result, the legal decisions made in the Netherlands did not lead to the child's return.
When A Family Case Became A Diplomatic Issue
The dispute eventually moved beyond the courtroom.
In 2018, then Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte raised the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The case remained a point of discussion between the two countries for years.
It resurfaced again in 2026 when Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten discussed the matter with PM Modi during the Indian leader's visit to the Netherlands.
These repeated diplomatic interventions highlight how difficult it has been to resolve the dispute through legal channels alone.
The Hague Convention Problem
One reason the case has remained unresolved is the absence of a shared international legal framework.
The Netherlands is a signatory to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
The treaty is designed to help secure the prompt return of children who are wrongfully removed from one country by a parent and taken to another.
However, for the Convention to apply, both countries involved must be signatories.
India is not a member of the Convention.
That means the treaty mechanisms commonly used in international child abduction cases cannot be used in this situation.
As a result, decisions made by Dutch courts do not automatically lead to enforcement in India.
Nearly A Decade Later
Today, Insiya is believed to be around 12 years old and continues to live in India.
Her mother, Nadia Rashid, has said she has had only limited contact with her daughter since the abduction and has not been reunited with her.
Despite criminal convictions in the Netherlands, years of court proceedings and repeated diplomatic efforts, the case remains unresolved.
For Nadia Rashid, it has been a nearly decade-long fight to see her daughter again.
For India and the Netherlands, it remains one of the most high-profile international child custody disputes in recent years.
