A distressing domestic dispute has surfaced in Gujarat, where a fifteen-year-old boy has approached the judiciary to escape alleged mistreatment by his mother. The minor has filed petitions before the Gujarat High Court seeking personal safety and formal permission to reside with his paternal grandparents in Morbi, claiming he has been subjected to continuous hostility and hardship at home.
Taking up the petitions filed through the boy's grandmother, Justice MC Tyagi of the Gujarat High Court has issued notices to the local police department and the Child Welfare Committee. The bench has demanded an explanation regarding the lack of action taken on earlier complaints lodged by the adolescent. Both agencies have been directed to submit their formal responses by December 28.
According to the case details, the minor's parents legally separated in the year 2020, following which the mother was granted his custody. The mother lives in the Sarkhej area of Ahmedabad, while the father is based in Angola for employment purposes. Meanwhile, the paternal grandparents reside in Morbi.
In his court filings, the boy detailed a pattern of mistreatment, stating that he is burdened with household chores and subjected to isolation, such as having the electricity turned off when he is home alone. He claimed that physical abuse and harsh behavior have been ongoing for nearly three months. In a particularly alarming allegation, he stated that his mother once attacked him with a knife, which prompted him to dial the police control room and subsequently file a formal complaint at the Sarkhej police station.
Before knocking on the doors of the High Court, the teenager had approached the Child Welfare Committee to investigate his plight and facilitate his relocation to Morbi. However, the petition alleges that neither the police nor the welfare committee took substantial action beyond recording his statements. Following this deadlock, the boy traveled to Morbi independently and initiated court proceedings through his grandmother.
The legal filings accuse the authorities of failing in their statutory duties mandated under the Juvenile Justice Act and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to ensure the child's safety and well-being. The first petition seeks a directive for the Child Welfare Committee to decide on the boy's application dated October 13 and his statement recorded on October 21 under the Juvenile Justice Act. The second petition requests the court to direct the police to register a First Information Report against the mother under Section 173(4) of the BNSS. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on December 28.
