Telangana HC Rejects Couple’s Custody Plea, Rules Adoption Illegal Under CARA

Overview

• Justice T. Madhavi Devi dismissed the writ petition seeking the return of a two-year-old girl to the petitioners.
• The child will remain in a child protection centre until authorities process any adoption through CARA.
• The court held that customary rituals such as Datha Homum do not constitute a valid adoption without compliance with Juvenile Justice and CARA procedures.
• Police named the couple as accused in a trafficking case after alleging the infant was procured through intermediary Nakka Yadagiri for Rs 6 lakh.
• Citing that the Supreme Court’s Dasari Anil Kumar order is not a precedent, the court declined out-of-turn consideration of the couple’s pending CARA application.