Surat: With a marital dispute already ongoing, a man from Indore has now approached a court in Surat to stop his minor son from being initiated as a Jain monk, claiming the decision was made without his consent.

Bhavin Chandrakant Shah, a resident of Indore, filed a petition in the Principal Senior Civil Judge’s Court in Surat under the provisions of the Guardian and Wards Act. He named his estranged wife, Binal Shah, a resident of Dumas in Surat, as the respondent. The couple’s son has been living with his mother and her family following a prolonged domestic dispute. A separate guardianship petition by Bhavin Shah for custody is already pending in court.

According to the petition, Binal Shah and her family have allegedly unilaterally decided to initiate the child into monkhood during a ceremony scheduled for May 21–22. Bhavin claims this move not only violates his rights as the natural guardian but also aims to sever the family lineage and distance the child from his father.

He further emphasized that as the child is a minor, such a significant and irreversible decision about his future should not be made by one parent alone. Citing the best interest of the child, Shah has sought an interim injunction to prevent the initiation ceremony until the court delivers a final verdict on his pending guardianship petition.

Additionally, Shah has filed a representation with the Surat Police Commissioner, alleging that his son has been “brainwashed” and is being “illegally detained.” He has requested police intervention to secure the release of his son and halt the initiation process.

The case now awaits further hearing in court. DeshGujarat