ORDER

Yashwant Varma, J.

"The beggarly question of parentage--what is it, after all? What does it matter, when you come to think of it, whether a child is yours by blood or not? All the little ones of our time are collectively the children of us adults of the time, and entitled to our general care...." Thomas Hardy, "Jude the Obscure"

1. This writ petition challenges the communication dated 10 August 2022 issued by the Central Adoption Resource Authority [CARA] informing the Specialized Adoption Agency [SAA] concerned and where Child "S" presently stands housed, of a complaint which had been received by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights [NCPCR] alleging violation of the adoption regulations which apply. CARA in terms of that communication apprised the SAA that till the aforesaid complaint is investigated, it should withdraw the Adoption Petition No. 1248/2022 which had been presented before the competent court.

2. Taking note of the challenge which stood raised in the writ petition, the Court on 28 September 2022 had passed the following order:

"1. Notice. Although the respondents are stated have been placed on advance notice, none has appeared on their behalf when the matter was called. Consequently, let learned counsel for the petitioner take steps for service on the said respondents through all permissible modes including via approved courier service as well as dasti.

2. The Court notes that in terms of the communication which stands impugned in the present writ petition, the Central Adoption Resource Authority ["CARA"] has issued directions not only for an investigation being initiated but for the adoption petition itself being withdrawn from the Court where it was pending. The aforesaid directions appear to have been issued pending CARA examining and investigating a complaint which is stated to have been received. The record would further reflect that after completion of all formalities, CARA itself had proceeded to issue the No Objection Certificate on 15 March 2022. Presently the impugned communication does not record any valid or legally justifiable reasons which may have compelled or constrained CARA to commence an investigation or warranted the withdrawal of the adoption petition itself.

3. In view of the aforesaid and bearing in mind the advanced stage to which the adoption process had reached, let the petition be called again on 13 October 2022.

4. Till the next date of listing the direction as contained in the impugned order dated 10 August 2022 for withdrawal of the adoption petition shall remain stayed. The Court additionally restrains CARA from taking any steps for unmatching the petitioner from the child which was to be taken in adoption. The concerned Court before which the adoption petition is pending shall also stay its hands pending further orders being passed on the present writ petition.

5. CARA shall additionally place on the record a report with respect to the welfare of the child in question.

6. Dasti under signatures of the Court Master."

3. Thereafter and when the matter was taken up on 17 October 2022, the petitioners moved a miscellaneous application for appropriate directions in light of the material which had been placed on the record and which indicated that unauthorized third parties had been granted access to the child. The material indicated that in the course of those interactions, photographs of Child "S" were taken and thereafter posted online on various social media platforms. Taking cognizance of the allegations which stood levelled, the Court on 17 October 2022 passed the following order:

"CM APPL. 44982/2022 (