Govt. to decide on how to send Manjhi back home?

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central Government to dispose off within four weeks, an application filed by Japanese infant Baby Manjhi’s grandmother asking for travel documents to take the baby to Japan. 

The Solicitor General Goolam E Vahanvati appearing for the Centre, informed a two judge bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat that the government will finally decide if they have to issue the passport or the travel documents to Baby Manjhi to go home. The Solicitor also requested the petitioner, the grandmother of the Baby, to move a fresh application in this regard.  The Solicitor also made it clear to the government has “in principle” decided not to object to Manjhi’s father’s demand to take her to Japan

The court has also asked Satya, an NGO which is asking for the custody of Baby Manjhi, to approach the National Commission for protection of child rights if they have any grievance in the matter. The NGO had objected to the custody of Baby Manji being handed over to the grandmother by the Supreme Court. The Solicitor General on the other hand, had slammed the NGO for moving to the apex court saying they had no locus to intervene in the matter. While appearing for the NGO Satya, advocate Abhinav Sharma contended that Indian laws do not adoption of a girl child by a single father.

The court had earlier directed that the custody of the infant will remain with the grandmother till the matter is finally decided by the court. The grandmother of infant Manji had approached the Supreme Court, seeking that the child should not be separated from her and the father. She also sought requisition of relevant travel documents for the child, so that she could be deported safely to Japan.

The grandmother was forced to move the apex court, after she learnt that the custody of the child could not be given to the father as Indian laws do not permit a single father to adopt a girl child. Manji was born on the 25th of July after her biological parents Ikufumi Yamada and Yuki Yamada entered into a contract with a woman in Gujarat to become their child's surrogate mother. The problem started when a month before Manji was born, her biological mother divorced her husband and disowned the child.