Custody battle: SC grants 4 weeks to Centre to trace Russian woman, her child

We can only hope the child is well and healthy as he is with the mother.

The Supreme Court on Monday granted four weeks to the Centre to trace a Russian woman, who had fled to Moscow with her child amid a bitter custody battle with her estranged Indian husband.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Dipankar Datta and Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, that sincere efforts were on to trace the woman and the child.

The law officer said that Interpol notices have also been issued to trace and bring them back to India.

''I am having some updates... Please grant us a few more weeks, and we will file an updated report,'' the law officer said, adding that Russia is an ''all-weather friend.'' The bench agreed and granted four weeks to the Centre.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs filed reports in a sealed cover.

The bench asked the law officer to take up ''the issue on a continuous basis with the Indian Embassy at Moscow, so as to call upon the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation to trace out the child and the petitioner-mother.'' ''It will be highly appreciated if a Report with regard to the well-being of the child is obtained and produced before us,'' the bench had said on November 28 last year.

Before that, the bench had observed that it did not want to pass any order which could hurt the India-Russia relationship.

It, however, emphasised the need for proper coordination as it pointed out the diplomatic challenge for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Indian Embassy in Moscow, and the Russian Embassy in Delhi, to find a resolution to the issue and take steps to restore the child to the custody of the apex court.

The woman, who had been residing in India since 2019, came to India on an X-1 Visa, which had expired.

However, during the pendency of the court proceedings, the top court directed the extension of the visa from time to time.

''We don't want to pass any order which may hurt the relationship between India and Russia but it is also a matter where a child is involved. We can only hope the child is well and healthy as he is with the mother. Hope it is not the case of human trafficking...,'' the bench told Bhati.

On July 21, last year, the top court was informed that the Russian woman seemed to have left the country with the minor via the Nepal border and might have reached her country through Sharjah.

The top court had then called the situation ''unacceptable'' and observed ''gross contempt of court.'' The father of the child alleged that his estranged wife wasn't complying with the court's order of custody of the minor.

The man claimed that he was clueless about the whereabouts of the woman and his child.

On July 17, last year, the top court directed Delhi Police officers to immediately trace the child and asked the Centre to issue a look-out notice for the woman and the minor to ensure she did not leave the country.

The top court on May 22, 2025, directed that the exclusive custody of the child was given to the mother for three days in a week – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – and for the remaining days, the child was directed to remain in the exclusive custody of his father.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)