Habeas Corpus for girl child custody to Father

Supreme Court of India CASE NO.:Appeal (civil) 6626 of 2004 PETITIONER:Sheila B. Das RESPONDENT:P.R. Sugasree DATE OF JUDGMENT: 17/02/2006 BENCH:B.P. Singh & Altamas Kabir JUDGMENT:J U D G M E N T The appellant, who is a paediatrician by profession, was married to the respondent, who is a lawyer by profession, on 29th March, 1989, at Thrissur in Kerala under the provisions of the Special Marriage Act. A girl child, Ritwika, was born of the said marriage on 20th June, 1993. As will appear from the materials on record, the appellant, for whatever reason, left her matrimonial home at Thrissur on 26th February, 2000, alongwith the child and went to Calicut without informing the respondent. Subsequently, on coming to learn that the appellant was staying at Calicut, the respondent moved an application in the High Court at Kerala for a writ in the nature of Habeas Corpus, which appears to have been disposed of on 24th March, 2000 upon an undertaking given by the appellant to bring the child to Thrissur. On 24th March, 2000, the respondent, alleging that the minor child had been wrongfully removed from his custody by the appellant, filed an application before the Family Court at Thrissur under Sections 7 and 25 of the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, and also Section 6 of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956, which came to be numbered as OP 193 of 2000 and OP 239 of 2000. Before taking up the said two applications for disposal, the learned Judge of the Family Court at Thrissur took up the respondents application for interim custody of the minor child and on 27th April, 2000 interviewed the minor child in order to elucidate her views with regard to the respondents prayer for interim custody. No order was made at that time on the respondents application for interim custody. On 20th March, 2001, the learned Judge of the Family Court at Thrissur took up the two applications filed by the respondent under Sections 7 and 25 of the Guardians and Wards Act and under Section 6 of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act for final disposal. While disposing of the matter the learned Judge had occasion to interview the minor child once again before delivering judgment and ultimately by his order of even date the learned Judge of the Family Court at Thrissur allowed the applicati16ons filed by the respondent by passing the following order:- 1. The respondent is directed to give custody of the child to the petitioner the father of the child, the natural guardian immediately after closing of the schools for summer vacation. 2. The father shall take steps to continue the study of the minor child in CSM Central School Edaserry and steps to restore all the facilities to the minor child to enjoy her extra curricular activities and studies also. 3. The respondent mother is at liberty to visit the child either at the home of the petitioner or at school at any time. 4. If the mother respondent shifts her residence to a place within 10 kms. radius of the school where the child is studying the child can reside with the mother for not less than three days in a week. The petitioner father shall not, object to taking of the child by the mother to her own house in such condition. 5. The father the petitioner shall meet all the expenses for the education, food and cloths etc. of the minor child and the mother of her own accord contribute to the same anything for the child and the father should not prohibit the mother from giving the child anything for her comfort and pleasant living. 6. If the mother the respondent fails to stay within 10 kms. radius of the CSM central School, Edasserry however she is entitled to get custody of the child for 2 days in any of the weekend in a month and 10 days during the Summer vacation and 2 days during the Onam hoilidays excluding the Thiruvonam day. 7. This arrangement for custody is made on the basis of the prime consideration for the welfare of the minor child and in case there is any change in the situation or circumstance affecting the welfare of the minor child, both of the parties are at liberty to approach this court for fresh directions on the basis of the changed circumstance. OP 239/2000 is partly allowed prohibiting the respondent husband by a permanent injunction from removing or taking forcefully the B schedule articles mentioned in the plant. The parties in both these cases are to suffer their costs. Being dissatisfied with the order of the Family Court, the appellant herein filed an appeal in the High Court of Kerala, being M.F.A.No.365/01, wherein by an order dated 21st May, 2001, the order of the Family Court was stayed. The respondent thereupon filed an application before the High Court for review of the said order and in the pending proceedings, a direction was given by the High Court to the Family Court at Calicut to interview the minor child. The report of the Family Court was duly filed before the High Court on 5th July, 2001. From the said report, a copy of which has been included in the paperbook, it is evident that the minor child preferred to stay with her father and ultimately by its order dated 25th July, 2001 the High Court vacated the stay granted by it on 21st May, 2001. On the application of the appellant herein, one Dr. S.D. Singh, Psychiatrist, was also appointed by the High Court on 14th September, 2001, to interview the appellant and the respondent in order to make a psychological evaluation and to submit a report. On such report being filed, the High Court by its order dated 31st May, 2002, granted custody of the minor child to the respondent till the disposal of the appeal. Soon thereafter, in June 2002, the respondent filed an application for divorce before the Family Court at Thrissur. While the same was pending, the appellant filed a Special Leave Petition being S.L.P.( C) C.C.No.6954/2002 against the order of the High Court granting custody of the minor child to the respondent till the disposal of the appeal. The said Special Leave Petition was dismissed on 9th September, 2002. The appeal filed by the appellant before the High Court against the order of the learned Judge of the Family Court allowing the respondents application under Sections 7 and 25 of the Guardians and Wards Act, being M.F.A. No.365/01, was also dismissed on 16th June, 2003. Immediately, thereafter, on 28th June, 2003, the Family Court granted divorce to the parties. Being aggrieved by the dismissal of her appeal, being M.F.A.No.365/01, the appellant herein filed the instant Special Leave Petition, being SLP ) No. 18961/2003, which after admission was renumbered as Civil Appeal No.6626/2004. On 20th July, 2004, the appellant herein filed a petition in the pending Special Leave Petition for interim visitation rights in respect of her minor child for the months of August and September, 2004. After considering the submissions made by the appellant, who was appearing in person, and the learned counsel for the respondent, this Court passed the following order:- This petition has been filed by the mother of minor girl-Ritwika, aged about 12 years, challenging the impugned order of the High Court dated 16th June, 2003. By the impugned order the High Court confirmed the order of the Family Court holding that it is in the best interest of the child that she be in the custody of the father. The High Court, however, permitted the petitioner to visit the child at the house of the father once in a month, that is, first Sunday of every month and spend the whole day with the child there with a further stipulation that she will not be removed from the fathers house. The petitioner and the respondent have not been living together since February, 2000. The divorce between them took place by order dated 26th June, 2003.

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