File reply on Haynes' plea, court tells govt

By: Mayura Janwalkar

Mumbai: On the day of her first court hearing, Jennifer Haynes, 27, looked a tad nervous.

Jennifer, who was deported to Mumbai in July 2008, is seeking action against the

Americans for International Aid and Adoption (AIAA), the agency that processed her adoption papers, as she was deported nearly 20 years after her adoption owing to incomplete documents and adoption procedures.

On Friday, her advocate Pradeep Havnur told the Bombay High Court that the AIAA had been running for 31 years but they had neither completed Haynes' adoption formalities nor ensured her well being in her foster homes.

Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice DY Chandrachud, however, initially felt that the dispute was of a private nature. Havnur further told the court that Haynes was convicted twice for possession of cocaine and had been deported by the US board of immigration appeals after the Indian government accepted her repatriation.

Havnur said in spite of having lived in the US for nearly 20 years and being married to a US national, she has neither the citizenship of the country nor a passport. The court directed the union government to file a reply on Haynes' petition by February 27.

Havnur urged the court to issue notice to AIAA, which does not have an office in India but is recognised by the Central Adoption Resources Authority. The judges said they will consider issuing notice after the government files its reply.