#minor welfare

The Karnataka High Court ruled that Indian courts cannot intervene in child custody matters governed by foreign court orders unless exceptional circumstances threaten the child's welfare. The judgment reinforces the principle of comity of courts in transnational custody disputes, limiting habeas corpus relief to cases of grave risk or illegal detention.

Bombay High Court underscores that the welfare of a minor child prevails over procedural police discretion, directing disciplinary action against an SHO for refusing to register a kidnapping complaint. The ruling reinforces that habeas corpus petitions involving minors demand immediate judicial intervention, not bureaucratic dismissal.

The Karnataka High Court invoked parens patriae to empower a mother with sole physical custody to apply for her minor daughter’s U.S. passport despite the father’s deliberate non-cooperation, preventing potential deportation and affirming child welfare over parental obstruction in international legal processes. This sets a critical precedent for cross-border child mobility when one parent unreasonably withholds consent.