Manjhi’s fate depends on Centre’s decision

NEW DELHI: Fifty-day-old Manjhi may get an Indian passport to accompany her Japanese parents if the Centre certifies the baby born through assisted reproductive technology (Art) on a Rajasthani woman is a citizen of the country by birth.

Solicitor general Goolam E Vahanvati told the supreme court on Monday Manjhi’s passport depended on the Union government’s decision.

The court had last month handed over custody of the newborn to her 74-year-old Japanese grandmother Emiko Yamada and asked the Centre to consider her representation seeking sanction to take Manjhi to Japan.

A bench headed by justices Arijit Pasayat and MK Sharma stayed all proceedings relating to Manjhi’s birth and nationality before the Rajasthan high court.

The high court had directed the state police to produce the baby before it after NGO Satya filed a petition contending that in the absence of a surrogacy law in the country, the legitimacy of the baby couldn’t be claimed by anyone.

The apex court ordered that anybody having any grievance relating to the adoption of Manjhi would have to approach the commission set up under the Children’s Protection Act.

Yamada’s counsel Indira Jaising said the guidelines issued by the Indian Council for Medical Research for accreditation, supervision and regulation of Art clinics envisaged that the baby was a legitimate child of her biological father, Ikufumi Yamada, 45, and his consenting wife Yuki Yamada, 41.

“I think India has an obligation to speed up the legal and judicial process so that the child is able to travel as soon as possible,” Jaising said.