Archive · 11 Dec 2025
Father Protests Daughter's Jain Monkhood Initiation
A man named Samir Shah went to court to stop his 7-year-old daughter from becoming a Jain monk.
He also wants to take care of his daughter and 5-year-old son.
He says his wife left him and is living with her parents.
He found out about the ceremony from a WhatsApp group and asked his in-laws to stop it, but they refused.
He wants to give his children a good education and a better future.
He filed the application under a law that helps decide who should take care of children.
Samir Shah filed an application in the Surat family court to stop his 7-year-old daughter's initiation into Jain monkhood.
Shah also requested custody of both his children, citing his desire to educate them for a secure future.
The couple has been estranged due to frequent quarrels, with the wife living with her parents since April 2024.
Shah learned about the diksha ceremony from a Jain community WhatsApp group and was not consulted about it.
Shah is financially stable and wants to provide better education to his children, contrasting with his in-laws' reliance on his brother-in-law's income.
- Who
- Samir Shah, a Jain man and share market trader
- What
- Filed an application in the family court to stop his 7-year-old daughter's initiation into monkhood and to gain custody of his children
- When
- Filed on Tuesday (specific date not mentioned)
- Where
- Surat, India
- Why
- To prevent his daughter's initiation into monkhood and to secure custody of his children for their education and future
- Father's Name
- Samir Shah
- Daughter's Age
- 7 years
- Son's Age
- 5 years
- Location
- Surat, India
- Court
- Family Court of Judge S V Mansuri
- Act Cited
- The Guardian and Wards Act 1890
- Sections Cited
- Section 7, Section 24