Mumbai man sues mother for abandoning him 39 years ago, seeks Rs 1.5 cr relief

The man has also applied for interim relief, seeking a DNA test to ascertain he is the biological son of the woman, who at present lives in Dombivli (East) with her second husband. “

A 40-year-old man has approached the Bombay high court (HC) seeking a declaration that a 57-year-old citizen is his biological mother, who abandoned him on a train at Pune station when he was two-and-a-half years old, in 1981. The plaintiff has also sought a declaration that he is entitled to a share of the 57-year-old woman’s estate and that he must get a compensation of Rs 1.5 crore “on account of inconveniences, stress and trauma suffered” owing to the former’s “illegal act”.

New born babies at Wadia Hospital, Parel in Mumbai (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo (For representative purposes only))

The man has also applied for interim relief, seeking a DNA test to ascertain he is the biological son of the woman, who at present lives in Dombivli (East) with her second husband. “Every child has the right to know his biological roots and the same can be enforced through reliable scientific tests to establish the maternity/paternity,” his interim application states.

According to the 40-year-old, who works as a make-up artist, his parents married in April 1978 and resided at Goregaon (West). He was born on February 28, 1979. According to the plaintiff, his mother later regretted her decision to marry, and on September 23, 1981, she left her matrimonial home with her son. She boarded the Deccan Express and when the train reached Pune, she alighted, leaving the child behind. Later, a waiter on the train noticed the child crying and he handed him over to constable Gurunath Chavan. Chavan was unable to trace his mother. In November 1981, a couple from Rajasthan claimed the child was theirs and obtained his custody. The plaintiff’s maternal grandmother later fought and won a legal battle with the couple for the boy’s custody, during which the child spent four years at an observation home. The grandmother died in 1991, after which he lived with one of his maternal aunts. The 40-year-old said he was unaware of the details of his abandonment and came to know of it in March 2017.

The suit adds that the plaintiff searched for details about his parents and other relatives. In July 2018, he found his mother’s cellphone number and spoke to her. During a meeting, she accepted him as her biological son and allegedly apologised for abandoning him, but refused to publicly acknowledge it. He then moved the HC. He has sought compensation stating, “The plaintiff has undergone a life full of agony, mental trauma, inconvenience, and mystery about his parents and his existence.” The matter will be heard next on January 13.