When the girl's mother, Venkatalakshmi, a resident of Peenya Industrial Town in the City, failed in her attempts to take the girl back home, the mother filed a habeas corpus petition before the Karnataka High Court division bench comprising Chief Justice R P Sethi and Justice Prasad Rao. She stated that her daughter, Vedavathi, is in the custody of Jnanamma, a resident of Narasapura in Vemgal Taluk, Kolar District. She accused Jnanamma and her husband of preventing her to meet Vedavathi.

The Court ordered the sub-inspector of Vemgal to conduct an inquiry. In his report the sub-inspector stated that Vedavathi was brought to Jnanamma when she was only two months. Venkatalakshmi wanted to sell her but Jnanamma preferred to keep her in her house as the couple did not have anychildren.

In her statement, Vedavathi also stated that she had not seen Venkatalakshmi in her life. The first time she saw her mother was on September 6, when the latter came to Jnanamma's house and picked up a quarrel with the foster parents demanding custody of the girl. The girl, however, said that she preferred to stay with her foster parents rather than a stranger, Venkatalakshmi. The inquiry also revealed that the couple looked after the child well and also got her proper education.

The division bench dismissed the petition as the matter could not be adjudicated. The bench directed Venkatalakshmi to file a separate case in an appropriate court under the provisions of Guardian and Wards Act.