In custody battle, SC asks police to trace and hand over child to Indian father, orders seizure of Russian mother's passport
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, which took a grim view of the matter, directed 'Delhi police authorities, including the Commissioner, to trace the minor child without any loss of time and hand over the unconditional custody of the child to the father' and asked the 'Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs to issue look-out notices and ensure that the (Russian) mother is not permitted to leave the country'.
The court also ordered that the Russian mother's passport be seized forthwith and directed 'officers of MEA to talk to officials in Russian embassy to seek permission to enter into residence of the diplomat who was lastly seen in the company of the mother'.
It was the mother who approached the court over the dispute and orders were passed in the matter from time to time. The duo had been living in Delhi separately on the court's orders, with both taking care of the child.
On May 22, the court gave the father exclusive custody of the child for four days a week, while the mother will have custody for the remaining three days.
This month, the father approached the Supreme Court complaining that the child and the woman were missing. He also claimed that she was seen entering the Russian embassy in Delhi with a diplomat.
His counsel told the bench that 'the Russian mother and the child have vanished into wilderness'.
Justice Surya Kant asked the woman's counsel about her whereabouts, but they said they were unaware.
The bench apparently did not seem to agree, with Justice Kant remarking, 'You people know everything…you think you can play mischief with us? We will take counsel also to task, not only the petitioner! You wait for the orders we will pass at the appropriate time.'
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