The Calcutta High Court ordered the Child Welfare Committee to return a three-year-old child to the couple caring for him since birth, ruling the committee had no legal authority to take custody.
Reader brief
Through the Reader lens: The Calcutta High Court directed a Child Welfare Committee to return a three-year-old child to the couple who had raised him since birth. Although the informal, notarized adoption did not follow the standard procedures under the Juvenile Justice Act, the court found the child was not legally orphaned, abandoned, or in need of care and protection, meaning the committee had no authority to seize him. The court emphasized the child's best interests and family care while instructing the couple to pursue proper legal channels to formalize the adoption.
What to watch next
- The couple's petition to an appropriate court to legally establish their status as adoptive parents.
- Quarterly welfare and progress reports on the child by the District Legal Services Committee starting December 2026.
Sources1
- [1]The Times of IndianeutralCalcutta HC orders CWC to return 3-year-old to couple despite adoption lapse