Adopting Child Directly From Biological Parents Not An Offence U/S 80 Juvenile Justice Act: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has said that in the absence of a declaration that a child is deserted by his biological or adoptive parents or guardians, filing of chargesheet under section 80 of the Juvenile Justice (Care And Protection Of Children) Act 2015, is without any substance.Section 80 provides punishment for adopting any orphan, abandoned or surrendered child without following the provisions or procedures as provided under the JJ Act. A single judge bench of Justice Hemant Chandangoudar sitting at Dharwad allowed the petition filed by two couples and quashed the proceedings initiated against them under the Act. The prosecution had alleged that accused No.3 has taken adoption of the daughter who was born to accused Nos.1 and 2 without following the provisions or procedure prescribed under the Act thus constituting the offence punishable under Section 80 of the Act. The Magistrate took cognizance of the offence and issued summons to the petitioners herein. Following which, the four accused approached the High Court. The petitioners submitted that the child which is alleged to have been taken in adoption by accused No.3 is not an orphan, abandoned or surrendered child so as to constitute the commission of offence punishable under Section 80 of the Act. Hence, the charge sheet filed against the petitioners – accused is without any substance. Court Findings: At the outset, the bench observed that a person is stated to have committed an offence, if he/she takes a child on adoption who is an orphan, abandoned or surrendered child without following the provisions or procedures as provided under the Act. However, in the present case, the child in question was not an abandoned child or orphan or surrendered child as defined under Sections 2(1), 2(42) and 2(60) of the Act. Thus, in the absence of any declaration that the child is deserted by his biological or adoptive parents or guardians, the filing of the charge sheet is also without any substance. Accordingly it allowed the petition and quashed the proceedings against the petitioners. Case Title: BANU BEGUM W/O KHAJASAB ALIAS MEHABOOBSAB and Others Versus State of Karnataka. Case No: CRIMINAL PETITION NO. 100659 OF 2021 Citation: 2022 LiveLaw (Kar) 154 Date of Order: 07TH DAY OF APRIL, 2022 Appearance: Advocate M B GUNDAWADE for petitioners; Advocate RAMESH CHIGARI for respondents Click Here To Read/Download Order

Adopting Child Directly From Biological Parents Not An Offence U/S 80 Juvenile Justice Act: Karnataka High Court

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