Following a petition of the paternal and maternal grandparents of a five-month-old boy, the Rajasthan High Court Tuesday cancelled the ‘adoption deed’ his parents had signed to hand over their child to a godman in Madhya Pradesh.

Stating that when a father is not allowed custody of a child below five, by “no stretch of imagination” could he or she be given to a godman, Justice Bela M Trivedi ordered the ‘adoption deed’ cancelled after a submission by the child’s parents — Pawan and Pooja Purohit — and godman Rameshwar Dayal aka Chhote Sarkar, agreeing to the adoption deed being cancelled.

Rajendra Prasad Purohit, the child’s grandfather, told The Indian Express, “For us, it is a very special moment as today’s decision was also delivered by Justice Trivedi, who had passed the interim order in August.”

In August, on a plea by the grandparents of the baby, the HC had passed an interim order staying the adoption, to be conducted ritually on Guru Poornima (July 31) last year, and directed that the baby be kept in the custody of his mother.

Suresh Pareek, the counsel for the grandparents, said the HC also directed that the grandparents be allowed to meet the child whenever they wished.

Born on February 5 last year, the baby was “offered” to Chhote Sarkar Maharaj, the present head of Dada Darbar Vedic cult in Madhya Pradesh. The parents gave him away on March 5 last year. Following a ritual, Rameshwar Dayal renamed the baby and declared him his successor. Upon growing up, he would “continue the legacy” of Chhote Sarkar, who was adopted by the ashram’s previous head.

Rameshwar Dayal is fourth in a line of spiritual heads described by its officials as “incarnations of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu” and “performers of miracles.”

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