A 48-year-old woman based in Germany has approached the Karnataka High Court seeking to trace her biological parents nearly five decades after being adopted from a Bengaluru hospital. The petitioner, Anita Weisendt, stated in her plea that she was born on March 3, 1978, at St Martha’s Hospital.
According to her submission, her mother died 23 days after her birth, leaving her father financially distressed and unable to care for the newborn. He allegedly handed her over to the hospital in the hope of securing a better future.
Court records indicate that the child remained at the hospital for around five months, during which staff named her Anita. She was later legally adopted by a German couple, Lutz Joachim Weisendt and Sigrid Weisendt, through a process facilitated by the hospital. The adoption was formalised with certification from the hospital’s then medical officer, and the child was subsequently taken to Germany.
The matter came up before a bench headed by Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum on Tuesday. The court observed that, as per a ruling of the Supreme Court of India, an adopted individual has the right to know their biological parents upon attaining adulthood. The bench directed the hospital to file its response in the matter.
In her petition, Anita stated that questions about her identity have troubled her for decades and that discovering her origins is an emotional necessity rather than mere curiosity. She argued that access to such information would provide a sense of closure.
The plea outlines her efforts to obtain relevant records. In 2024, she visited Bengaluru with her husband and approached the hospital for documents related to her adoption. After receiving no response, she issued a legal notice in 2025, but alleges that the hospital failed to share any records or information.
She further contended that, at the time of her adoption, the Social Welfare Department was responsible for counselling biological parents, verifying consent, and preserving records. However, she claims these obligations were not fulfilled.
Anita also filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Police Commissioner in August 2025, seeking an investigation into whether her adoption had taken place without parental consent. Following a preliminary inquiry by Halasuru Gate police, authorities stated that the hospital maintained records only for five years and had destroyed them thereafter.
The case has brought renewed attention to issues surrounding record preservation and the rights of adopted individuals to access information about their origins. The High Court is expected to take up the matter further after receiving the hospital’s response.
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