IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) MONDAY, THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF DECEMBER TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHT PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE GHULAM MOHAMMED and THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE B.SESHASAYANA REDDY WRIT PETITION NO : 27153 of 2008 Between: B. Jaya Lalitha W/o. B. Ramanjuneyulu R/o. Arvind Nagar, # 11/1/267, Beside Venkata Ramana Hospital, Ananthapur. ..... PETITIONER AND 1 T. Janardhan Reddy S/o. Viswanatha Reddy Arvind Nagar, Ananthapur. 2 The Superintendent of Police Ananthapur Ananthapur Dist. 3 Station House Officer II Town Police Station Ananthapur. 4 The Secretary District Legal Service Authority Ananthapur, Ananthapur Dist. .....RESPONDENT(S) Petition under Article 226 of the constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the Affidavit filed herein the High Court will be pleased to issue a Writ, Order or Direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Certiorari calling for records and set aside the award dated 06-06-2008 passed by the Lok Adalat Bench at Ananthapur in Crl. M.P.No.169 of 2008, consequently handover the custody of the minor girl namely B.C. Anila to the petitioner. Counsel for the Petitioner: DR.R.PRABHAKAR Counsel for the Respondent No.: GP FOR HOME The Court made the following : ORDER: (per the Hon’ble Mr.Justice Ghulam Mohammed) This writ petition is filed seeking a writ of certiorari to quash the award dated 06-06-2008 passed by the Lok Adalat Bench at Anantapur in Cr.M.P.No.169 of 2008, and consequently, to handover the custody of the minor girl namely B.C. Anila to the petitioner. The petitioner is the mother of B.C.Anila. Crl.M.P.No.169 of 2008 was filed by B.C.Anila for the security against the threats from the parents. Initially, the parents attended the meetings and they have insisted for the custody of the child. Both the parties have participated in the mediation process and the award discloses that later on the parents left the mediation forum without further participation stating that they are unconcerned with the child as she did not join them. B.C.Anila and T.Janardhan Reddy loved each other and went away together to marry. But the marriage could not be permitted as she was a minor and she would be attaining majority on 11-07-2009. Under these circumstances the settlement is recorded. The daughter of the petitioner i.e., B.C.Anila is kept in a residential junior college for long term coaching and preparation for engineering admission and parents of Janardhan Reddy can see her in the hostel if she wants and without disturbing her. T.Janardhan Reddy agreed to deposit Rs.50,000/-. Sri Anantha Venkata Reddy, Contractor, agreed to be surety for the expenditure. Learned counsel for the petitioner contended that the Lok Adalat has no original jurisdiction under Section 19 (5) of the Legal Service Authority Act, 1987 (for short ‘the Act’). Further, under Section 20 (2) of the Act, the District Judge ought not to have referred the matter to Lok Adalat without hearing the parents of the minor girl. We have perused the award of the Lok Adalat. It clearly discloses that the parents did not participate in the deliberations and the mediation process and they have stated that they are unconcerned with the child. Apart from that, the Presiding Officer of Lok Adalat, Anantapur, observed that she is going to attain majority on 11-07-2009 and she would be kept in the residential junior college and T.Janardhan Reddy agreed to deposit Rs.50,000/- and accordingly he has paid. We do not find any infirmity or illegality in the award. Under the facts and circumstances of the case, we are not inclined to exercise certiorari jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India. The Writ Petition is dismissed. No order as to costs. ____________________ GHULAM MOHAMMED, J ______________________ B.SESHASAYANA REDDY, J 15th December, 2008 SKM