HYDERABAD: Strengthening the rights of de facto guardians, the Telangana High Court held on Thursday that a neglectful parent cannot block the issuance of a passport to a child.
The court directed the Passport Authority of India to issue passports to two minors being raised by their grandparents, ruling that the consent of their estranged father, who had abandoned them, was not required.
Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka delivered the order while hearing a writ petition filed by the children’s grandfather, who challenged the rejection of their passport applications for lack of the father’s signature. Advocate Dunna Ambedkar, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the father had deserted the children and failed to discharge any parental responsibility.
The father claimed he was already paying a monthly maintenance of Rs 4,000, reduced from Rs 8,000, and cited financial strain due to his second marriage. The court noted that he had neither visited nor shown affection towards the children, demonstrating clear neglect.