<p>Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has granted bail to a lesbian couple, arrested for allegedly kidnapping a five-year-old girl, noting that at worst it can be said they undertook an illegal approach to fulfil their desire to have a child.</p>.<p>A single bench of Justice Manish Pitale in the order of November 19 said the women belong to the LGBTQ+ community and have already suffered incarceration for about eight months.</p>.<p>“At worst, it can be said that the applicants (couple) undertook an illegal approach to satisfy their desire of having a child by conniving with the co-accused persons to take away the minor girl child from her parents,” the court said.</p>.<p>“Such persons are unfortunately subjected to ridicule in the society and particularly in the confines of jail,” it added.</p>.Bombay HC raps CID on Badlapur encounter probe; calls gunshot residue, fingerprint aspects 'unusual'.<p>The bench in its order said prima facie a kidnapping case was made out against the couple but it was a bailable offence.</p>.<p>“Although a strong prima facie case is made out against the applicants (couple) that they indeed received the minor girl from the co-accused persons, there does not appear to be any material to show that the minor girl was exploited,” HC said.</p>.<p>The court noted that the two women were in a same-sex relationship and wished to have a child together which was biologically impossible. “In the present state of affairs, they would now also be unable to adopt a minor child,” HC said.</p>.<p>The FIR against the couple was registered in March this year on a complaint by the child’s parents in suburban Mumbai.</p>.<p>Apart from the couple, three other persons are also accused in the case.</p>.<p>In their complaint, the girl’s parents said their child went missing on March 24, 2024. The girl was last seen with a woman from the same area.</p>.<p>After the case was registered, police traced the girl to the lesbian couple’s house the next day.</p>.<p>The couple was arrested and has been in jail since then.</p>.<p>As per the couple, they were in a live-in relationship for ten years and were desirous of having a child. The duo allegedly paid Rs 9,000 to the other accused in the case for arranging the child.</p>.<p>The couple in their plea said they had not meted out any ill-treatment to the child.</p>
<p>Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has granted bail to a lesbian couple, arrested for allegedly kidnapping a five-year-old girl, noting that at worst it can be said they undertook an illegal approach to fulfil their desire to have a child.</p>.<p>A single bench of Justice Manish Pitale in the order of November 19 said the women belong to the LGBTQ+ community and have already suffered incarceration for about eight months.</p>.<p>“At worst, it can be said that the applicants (couple) undertook an illegal approach to satisfy their desire of having a child by conniving with the co-accused persons to take away the minor girl child from her parents,” the court said.</p>.<p>“Such persons are unfortunately subjected to ridicule in the society and particularly in the confines of jail,” it added.</p>.Bombay HC raps CID on Badlapur encounter probe; calls gunshot residue, fingerprint aspects 'unusual'.<p>The bench in its order said prima facie a kidnapping case was made out against the couple but it was a bailable offence.</p>.<p>“Although a strong prima facie case is made out against the applicants (couple) that they indeed received the minor girl from the co-accused persons, there does not appear to be any material to show that the minor girl was exploited,” HC said.</p>.<p>The court noted that the two women were in a same-sex relationship and wished to have a child together which was biologically impossible. “In the present state of affairs, they would now also be unable to adopt a minor child,” HC said.</p>.<p>The FIR against the couple was registered in March this year on a complaint by the child’s parents in suburban Mumbai.</p>.<p>Apart from the couple, three other persons are also accused in the case.</p>.<p>In their complaint, the girl’s parents said their child went missing on March 24, 2024. The girl was last seen with a woman from the same area.</p>.<p>After the case was registered, police traced the girl to the lesbian couple’s house the next day.</p>.<p>The couple was arrested and has been in jail since then.</p>.<p>As per the couple, they were in a live-in relationship for ten years and were desirous of having a child. The duo allegedly paid Rs 9,000 to the other accused in the case for arranging the child.</p>.<p>The couple in their plea said they had not meted out any ill-treatment to the child.</p>