High Court Ruling: Surname Change for Minors Now Possible in Kolkata
The Calcutta High Court approved changing a minor's surname on their birth certificate, affirming that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) can alter both given names and surnames in records. However, it declined altering the father's name without a legal adoption order. The biological father had no objections, but KMC opposed these changes.
- Country:
- India
The Calcutta High Court has set a precedent by allowing the surname change of a minor boy on his birth certificate. The court recognized that altering the name extends to surnames, with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) authorized to amend such records.
Justice Kausik Chanda issued this ruling while addressing a writ petition filed by the boy's mother, seeking to alter both her surname and her child's in KMC records. This request followed her remarriage after divorce, with the biological father consenting to the change.
Despite the high court's approval, the KMC opposed the change, arguing it lacked authority without an adoption order. KMC's lawyer cited statutory limitations, emphasizing the need for a legal framework for such alterations. The court, however, upheld its position under section 454 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, permitting the name changes.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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