90-year-old doctor moves Bombay HC to adopt caretaker as son; Centre, State asked to respond
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Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Centre and the state government on a petition filed in 2025 by a 90-year-old retired professor and gynaecologist, who has requested permission to legally adopt his 43-year-old caretaker as his son to “carry forward the name and fame.”
The petitioner, a resident of Opera House and owner of a bungalow, several plots of land, and a BMW, has requested the court to direct the registration of an adoption deed naming his Hindu caretaker as his son.
According to Economic Times, he has sought the court’s intervention to secure permission for the registration of the adoption deed and to declare his “right to adopt an adult person of his choice having a long association with him.” His advocate Suresh Mane said he is a “well-known medical practitioner” and is physically and mentally fit.
He was not married and had no legal heir. He has only one sister who passed away, leaving her children behind. His lawyer told the court, “Now at the fag end of his life… he would like to adopt an adult person as his own son.” The petition states that the caretaker, who follows the Hindu faith, has been living with and caring for the petitioner since 1999. The case highlights a gap in India’s adoption laws, which primarily address child adoption and do not provide provisions for adopting adults. The counsel for the petitioner pointed out the problem with the current legal framework related to the adoption law, which is child-centric and has no provision for adult adoption, reports The Daily.
“There is a legislative vacuum in India regarding adult adoption,” he stated. He also mentioned other countries like the US, Canada, Japan, Germany, and Switzerland all have provisions for adult adoption. “The existing legal regime is child-centric and does not cover adult adoption… Whether he should suffer because of the deficiency of the law?” the counsel argued. During the hearing, the court questioned the need for adoption since the petitioner had already secured the caretaker’s future by making a will in his favour, granting him power of attorney, and handing over key documents.
According to The Daily, the case reached the court after the registrar refused to register the adoption deed in August 2025, prompting the petitioner to seek judicial intervention to recognise his right to adopt an adult and direct the registrar to accept the deed. The state also raised concerns about his assets, noting that he owns several properties mentioned in his will and that legal clarity is necessary before permitting such an adoption.
Responding to the statement, the counsel for the petitioner stated, “The petitioner has a right to dispose of his properties.” The court also stated that the petitioner’s nephew executed the will, and he should be included in the case. The petitioner is a Parsi but wants to adopt a Hindu adult. He has appealed to the judgment of the bench by mentioning constitutional secularism and sought permission to choose his legal heir.
