Parsi nonagenarian doctor moves Bombay high court for adoption of adult Hindu caretaker

MUMBAI: Bombay HC Tuesday directed the Centre and state to reply to a 2025 petition by a retired professor and gynaecologist, Bomsi Wadia (90), who wants to adopt his caretaker (43), Rajeev Jha, as his son.A resident of Opera House and owner of a bungalow, several plots of land and a BMW, Wadia urged the HC to direct the registration of the adoption deed and to declare his “right to adopt an adult person of his choice having a long association with him”. His advocate Suresh Mane said he is a “well-known medical practitioner” and is physically and mentally fit. Wadia never married, has no children and has been living alone. His only sister is dead. She has two daughters and a son.Since 1999, Jha, “a person belonging to Hindu faith”, has been residing with Wadia and looking after him. “Now at the fag end of his life, in order to carry (forward) his name and fame, he would like to adopt an adult person as his own son,” he said, adding the existing legal regime is child-centric anddoes not cover adult adoption.The petition said there is a “legislative vacuum” in India regarding adult adoption, which is legal in countries such as the US, Canada, Japan, Germany and Switzerland. “Whether he should suffer due to deficiency of law?’’ he asked.Mane said Wadia has made his will, given power of attorney to Jha and issued all documents in his favour. The only problem came up when the registrar in Aug 2025 refused to register the adoption.State’s advocate Jyoti Chavan drew the high court’s attention to Wadia’s “many properties”, including a bungalow at Four Bungalows, and “amounts worth crores of rupees” listed in his will. Mane said “the petitioner has a right to dispose of his properties”. He said even though he was born a Parsi, his entire life he has believed in constitutional secularism. Chavan said Wadia’s nephew, who is the executor of his will, must be made a party. Adjourning the hearing to April 28, the judges said if required, he can be called. “There is something more that needs to be gone into,” Justice Ghuge said.