A JUDGE has agreed that the father of a respected eye surgeon at the Royal Bolton Hospital can remain in this country.

Eighty-one year-old Ranga Rao Guduru came to stay with his son Kalyan, a cataracts specialist, in July, 2017.

His wife had died the previous year, after 46 years of marriage, and Mr Guduru “had no clue” about housekeeping, the High Court was told.

He had formed a close bond with his grandson Taran, Mr Guduru’s counsel David Sellwood told a hearing of the Upper Tribunal for the Immigration and Asylum Chamber at Field House in London.

But when the grandfather applied to remain in the UK, on the basis of his family and private life, the Home Office refused his application, a decision later confirmed by an immigration tribunal.

Judge Jonathan Perkins ruled back in May that that tribunal had erred in law and ordered the case to determined afresh by the High Court.

Susan Cunha, senior presenting officer for the Home Office, said the authorities did not accept there would be “very significant obstacles” to Mr Guduru’s reintegration with life in India.

The court heard the Home Office did not consider the grandfather enjoyed a “family life” within the meaning of the immigration rules.

Mr Sellwood, for Mr Guduru, said his client had found it difficult, in India, to manage his own financial affairs, as he was uncomfortable with modern technology.

In evidence, Mr Guduru also told the court many of his friends there had either died or moved away.

His intentions to return to India, after his stay, had “melted like an ice cube” after five months of bonding with his grandson, the court heard.

The court was told that Mr Guduru was also financially self-sufficient.

His son, if he was not able to remain in the UK, would relocate to India to take care of him, he said.

Mr Guduru added: “Since my son is an ophthalmologist, when I die in his house, he is at hand to fulfil my last wish of donation of my eyes. My soul will have the satisfaction of giving sight to someone in England, the country which my son lovingly adopted as his own”.

Judge Perkins allowed Mr Guduru leave to remain in the UK after weighing up the evidence. In conclusion after a lengthy judgement, he said: “There are an unusual number of factors here pointing to allowing the appeal and not much pointing the other way. For all of these reasons, I allow this appeal on human rights grounds.”