NEW DELHI: A woman has moved the Delhi High Court seeking to hand over custody of her 14-year-old adopted son, citing his alleged inappropriate behaviour, including aggression and theft. She said he had been expelled from several schools and that she was unable to care for him.
The woman, Sufia Nadeem Chishti, lives with her elderly mother and sister in Greater Noida. She alleged that the teenager was “intellectually disabled” and that his “aggressive and hypersexual behaviour” had left them in constant fear that he might misbehave with them.
She has asked the court to hand over the boy’s custody to a government or private organisation and provide him with necessary medical care and treatment. She has undertaken to bear the expenses to the best of her financial capacity.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma has sought reports from the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) and the concerned Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The court has posted the matter for further hearing on September 30.
According to the petition, Chishti and her husband (who is now deceased) adopted the child from an orphanage in Assam in 2018, when he was six years old.
The petition alleged that the boy was expelled from a school for misbehaving with a six-year-old girl student. Chishti then admitted him to different schools, but he was allegedly expelled each time for misbehaviour with female students and other misconduct.
The petition said Chishti arranged medical treatment for the boy after noticing his behaviour. During the treatment, he was allegedly found to be “intellectually disabled” and to have hypersexual behaviour.
After her husband's death on May 9, 2021, Chishti began living with her elderly mother, the petition said. It alleged that the boy later started stealing money and running away from home.
The petition further alleged that as he grew older, the boy became more hypersexual and aggressive and began stealing money and valuables from the house. It also alleged that he became violent when he was not given money or could not steal money or valuables.
The petition said the boy had also misbehaved with another woman. The matter was reported to the police, but the complaint was later closed at Chishti's request. The woman did not pursue the complaint after the person concerned took the boy's age into account.
