Mumbai, May 5 (UNI) The Bombay High Court on Monday took suo motu (on its own) cognizance of delay on the long waiting period for prospective parents who are seeking to adopt children in the country and also issued notices to the central government and the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) directing them to file an affidavit in this regard.

The court took suo motu cognisance of a news report which said that the average waiting period for parents looking to adopt a child in the 0-2 years age group is now three-and-a-half years.

The division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice M S Karnik said that taking note of a news report and a letter addressed to the court, which highlighted grievances of prospective parents awaiting their turn to adopt, it was issuing notices to the Union of India, CARA, the nodal body for adoption in India, which comes under the Ministry of Women & Child Development and others relevant to the issue.

The bench has appointed senior counsel Milind Sathe and advocate Gaurav Shrivastava as amicus curiae (friend the court) to assist with the matter and adjourned the further hearing till June 23.

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