SC asks Centre to decide plea for Manji’s passport

Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 4:09 am

The Supreme Court today (Sep 29) asked the Centre to consider the representation for passport made by the grandmother of surrogate baby Manji to take her to Japan and also the plea for extension of her own visa.

The apex court recorded the undertaking of the Solicitor General, G E Vahanvati that if a comprehensive application, if filed by Emiko Yamada for the passport and the other travel documents, the same shall be disposed of expeditiously and not later than four weeks from the date of the receipt of such application.

A bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and Mukundakam Sharma, however, said that anybody having any grievance relating to the adoption of Maji will have to approach the Commission set up under the Protection of Children Act for lodging the protest.

The bench passed the direction while disposing off the petition filed by Yamada challenging a Rajasthan High Court order to take custody of the child after an NGO “Satya” had challenged the surrogacy episode as an attempt at child trafficking by the Japanese couple.

It was the contention of the NGO that in the absence of a surrogacy law in the country, the legitimacy of the baby cannot be claimed by anyone.

Yamada, had then rushed to the apex court challenging the High Court’s order and sought direction to the Centre to issue travel documents so that baby Maji could be taken to Japan. Acting on the Japanese woman’s plea, the apex court had stayed all proceedings before the Rajasthan High Court.

The Court on August 14 had also ruled that till the pendency of the issue the baby will remain in the custody of her Japanese grandmother.

(PTI)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)

SC asks Centre to decide plea for Manji’s passport

From World:

Todays news from India News

Advertisement

Email Subscription

Advertisement