Mumbai: High Court Orders Passport Issuance for Adopted Girl to Join Italian Parents
Mumbai, 26th December 2024: The Bombay High Court has granted permission for an Italian couple to adopt a one-year-old girl with a congenital heart condition. The court directed officials to expedite the issuance of her passport, enabling the couple to bring her to her new home in Italy promptly.
The child, born in July 2023, was surrendered by her biological mother at one month old and later declared “legally free for adoption” by the Child Welfare Committee, Mumbai, under Section 38 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act, 2021. The Italian couple, deemed suitable for adoption following psychological and financial evaluations, was approved in May by “Mehala Families for Children,” an adoption agency in Italy.
The Maharashtra State Women’s Council Adoption Group (Asha Sadan Balgruh) filed a petition under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, and the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993.
In its ruling, Justice RI Chagla emphasized the child’s best interests, allowing the adoption and instructing the issuance of her birth certificate and passport. The court also mandated that the couple seek prior approval before considering further adoption arrangements for the child.
