Japanese grandmother files papers for migration of surrogate baby

Jaipur, Oct 13 : Emiko Yamada, 74-year-old Japanese grandmother, on Monday filed papers for the migration of surrogate baby Manjhi in Jaipur.

'Manjhi', born of an Indian surrogate mother, was caught in a legal tussle as the country's laws prohibit the child's divorced father from taking her custody, because soon after her conception, her parents got separated.

The court had handed over custody of the newborn to her 74-year-old Japanese grandmother Emiko Yamada in August and asked the Central Government to consider her representation seeking sanction to take Manjhi to Japan.

"Senior officers have verbally told us that this child's identity certificate, which is also a travel document, can be issued. The travel document is issued to those people whose citizenship is not defined. This is the first kind of its case in Jaipur passport office," said S K Verma, Passport Officer, Jaipur.

The Supreme Court of India had directed the Central Government to take a final decision on the fate of Manjhi within four weeks from the date of representation made by the baby's Japanese surrogate grandmother.

"With the decision of the Supreme Court, the Solicitor General has said that the travel documents should be issued within four weeks of application," said Sanjay Arya, the local Guardian of Manjhi.

"The decision was taken on September 29, the order came on October 3 and we have applied today but we don't think we will get the document within 10-15 days. The visa of the grandmother of the baby will expire on the 28th of this month, then it will be very difficult," added Arya.

The baby's parents Ikufumi Yamada, 45, and his then-wife Yuki Yamada, 41, had come to India a year ago and had hired the services of a surrogate mother in Ahmedabad, but during the pregnancy, the couple got divorced.

Soon after the baby was born, serial bombings took place in Ahmedabad and the baby was shifted to Jaipur, where she is being currently looked after at a hospital.

ANI