: 1 : USJ IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL WRIT PETITION NO.1129 OF 2009 Pappu Basantlal Gupta .. Petitioner v/s. The State of Maharashtra & Ors. .. Respondents ........ Mr. Bhavesh Parmar for petitioner. Smt. V.R. Bhosale, APP for State. ........ CORAM : B.H. MARLAPALLE & R.Y.GANOO, JJ. Dated : 7th December, 2009. P.C. : 1. We are informed by Mr. Parmar, the learned Counsel for the petitioner father who is present in the Court that he desires to move an application before the competent lower forum i.e. Child Welfare Committee, Mankhurd, Bombay under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Child) Act, 2000 seeking custody of his minor daughter. The minor daughter Annu has been produced before us by the authorities of Bal Sudhar Gruha, Deonar, Mumbai and as per the instructions Smt. Bhosale has received, Annu is not inclined to return to her parents and she : 2 : prefers to continue to stay where she is presently residing. 2. Be that as it may, we are sure that the competent forum which has the powers to decide the custody of the minor shall consider the application filed by the petitioner, as per law. If such an application is filed within a period of one week from today, let it be decided on its own merits and as expeditiously as possible but in any case before 31st December, 2009. Save and except the above instructions, the petition stands disposed. [R.Y.GANOO, J.] [B.H. MARLAPALLE, J.]