Case brief
What is this about?
Madras High Court (Madurai Bench), W.P(MD)No.16342 of 2026, decided 16.06.2026 by D. Bharatha Chakravarthy J. - Mandamus under Article 226 sought against the Director, Directorate of Medical College, Kilpauk (R1) and the Medical Superintendent, Tirunelveli (R2) to act on the petitioner's representation dated 21.04.2026 complaining that his name ought not to have been entered as father in the child's birth certificate; held that the Registrar of Births and Deaths cannot conduct a roving paternity enquiry where the marriage is admitted and the child was born during its subsistence; writ petition dismissed with liberty to approach the appropriate forum; no costs.
What did the court decide?
On the face of it, such a prayer cannot be entertained by the Court; the Registrar of Births and Deaths cannot be expected to conduct a roving enquiry into matters relating to the paternity of a child, and it would not be appropriate for the Registrar to undertake such an enquiry.