Mumbai: In a unique case of adoption, the Bombay High Court last week hailed a Ghatkopar-based couple for adopting a seven-month-old girl child. The HC said the couple must be appreciated for adopting a girl child despite already having a daughter.
A bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni appreciated this 'approach' of the couple, saying it should set as an example for the 'patriarch' society.
The judge personally met the adoptive parents in his chambers and interacted with them especially because of the 'motivation' letter, they annexed to their plea, describing why they were motivated to adopt a child.
“I had an interaction with the adoptive parents and more particularly on reading their motivation letter. It appears that the adoptive parents were quite determined right from the beginning to have another child in adoption,” Justice Kulkarni said.
“They had accordingly visited several adoption homes and had studied on their future plans to take another child in adoption. They were also motivated by a book titled as Bal Anand (Umang), which was received by them from Bal Anand Ashram,” Justice Kulkarni noted.
The judge further said that the positive approach of the adoptive parents must be commended. “They have been celebrating birthday of their biological daughter and other family celebrations in different adoption homes, which clearly indicate their thinking on such children, culminating into a desire to have a child in adoption,” Justice Kulkarni observed.
“It needs to be further appreciated that despite the fact they have a biological girl child, they decided to adopt another girl child. This is the approach which needs to be cultivated in a society which is mostly said to be dominated by patriarchy,” the court remarked.
The bench was dealing with an adoption petition filed by the couple seeking to adopt the girl child, who was left by her biological mother, after her birth at an orphanage at Chembur.
Apart from the approach of the foster parents, the court also relied upon the reports of various committees, which assessed the couple's social and financial background.
“Considering the combined income and more particularly the fact that they have a settled family business, in my opinion, financially they are in a sound condition to take care of the adoptive daughter. Also, the adoptive parents are happily married since last 15 years and share a bond of love, care, understanding and friendship. They have a joint family which has openness to adoption,” Justice Kulkarni noted.
Accordingly, the judge allowed the adoption stating it be in the paramount interest of the girl child.
