After Three Years In Shelter Home, Calcutta High Court Reunites Three Minor Sisters With Parents
The case dates back to March 2023, when a neighbour filed a complaint, alleging that the parents had abused their three minor daughters.
Published : February 4, 2026 at 10:23 PM IST
Kolkata: Three minor sisters are set to return to their parents after spending nearly three years in government care. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday allowed the girls to reunite with their family. The court observed that the children themselves wished to go back home.
The case dates back to March 2023, when a neighbour filed a complaint at the Belgharia police station, alleging that the parents had abused their three minor daughters and driven them out of the house. Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered, and the police took the girls into custody before handing them over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). The sisters were subsequently placed in government-run homes.
The parents, however, consistently denied the allegations. They claimed that the neighbour, who had no children, had fabricated the complaint out of jealousy. According to them, no abuse had taken place. After repeated representations to authorities failed, the father eventually filed a habeas corpus petition in the Calcutta High Court seeking the return of his daughters.
The three sisters, aged 11, 8, and 6, are students of Classes seven, three, and one respectively. During the court proceedings, all three expressed their willingness to return to their parents and continue their education.
Allowing the petition, a division bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Md. Shabbar Rashidi ordered that the children be handed over to their parents directly from the court on Wednesday. At the same time, the bench issued a stern warning to the parents, stating that any future neglect or abuse would invite strict legal action.
The court also directed that a police inspector monitors the welfare of the three minors at their parents’ residence. The inspector has been instructed to submit a report every three months to the Child Rights Protection Committee. The committee has been authorised to take appropriate action in the best interests of the children, without seeking further court orders, if required.
For the unversed, the complaint filed on March 9, 2023, at around 8.30 pm alleged that the eldest daughter was not studying properly and was beaten by her mother before being driven out of the house. The complainant further alleged that the other two sisters were also abused.
Based on this complaint, the police registered a case under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. The father later alleged that the police acted without conducting a proper investigation and handed over the children to the CWC without a court order. Initially, the girls were kept in a government home in Salt Lake before being shifted to another facility, after which the family lost all contact with them.
In response to the habeas corpus petition, the High Court had earlier sought a detailed report from the state. The report submitted by the Child Welfare Committee stated that when the girls were produced before the committee, they appeared extremely frightened and traumatised, with visible signs of abuse, and were unable to speak properly.
On January 27, the division bench directed that the three minors and their parents be present in court on February 4. During the interaction, the judges spoke directly to the children, asking about their wishes and their preferred schools.
According to court proceedings, the three sisters broke down while answering the judges’ questions and clearly expressed their desire to return home. Taking note of their emotional state and stated preference, the bench ordered their immediate reunion with their parents.
Representing the state, advocates Vivekananda Bose and Tirthankar Dey submitted that the government had always prioritised the best interests of the children. “From the beginning, the state wanted the three minor girls to return to their family and parents. The welfare of the children has always been our primary concern,” they said.
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