Child custody battle: Russian woman hasn’t left India, at least legally, Delhi Police tell Supreme Court
A Russian woman involved in a battle for custody of her child with her estranged Indian husband hasn’t left India, at least through legal means, the Delhi Police told the Supreme Court on Friday.
“We have issued a ‘Look Out Circular’ against the woman and her child and issued hue and cry notices across all police stations of the country. From the information we received from all international airports and ports, we can say that she has not left the country with the child at least through legal means,” Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati told a Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
Maintaining that the Russian Embassy was cooperating with the probe, Bhati, representing the Delhi Police, said the woman came to its consular section on July 5 and left the embassy in an hour.
The Bench – which on Thursday directed the Delhi Police to forthwith trace the child and asked the Centre to issue a look out notice for her — asked the Ministry of External Affairs and the police to probe if the Russian embassy officials helped the woman in leaving India on a different passport.
Engaged in a fierce custody battle for the child with his estranged Russian wife, the Indian man accused her of not complying with the court’s order with regard to custody of the minor. He said he was unaware of the whereabouts of his estranged wife and the child since July 7.
As Bhati said the woman was of very frugal means and had only Rs 160 in her bank account and the amount last withdrawn from her account was Rs 250, the Bench termed it “a very precarious situation”. “How is she sustaining herself and the child? The husband is not paying anything to her and even the court has not given her anything,” it noted.
A Russian citizen residing in India since 2019, the woman initially came to India on an X-1 Visa, which expired subsequently. However, during the pendency of the proceedings, the court had directed the extension of the visa from time to time.
The top court asked the authorities to look at railway stations and verify from all the entry and exit points of the national capital region whether she has left the national capital to some other destination.
Bhati said the Russian ambassador to India had said that on July 10, the woman’s mother had called from Russia to say that she could not be contacted and thereafter they had informed the Delhi Police.
She said all necessary actions were being taken to trace the child and the mother and notices had been sent to all superintendents of police across India. “She may have travelled domestically but not left the country through legal means,” Bhati said.
The Bench had asked the authorities to seize her passport and inform all international airports and other ports within India, and the immigration authorities to ensure they did not leave India.
Taking note of the man’s allegation that the police failed to provide protection to the minor child and violated the court’s directions, the Bench had directed the MEA officials to liaise with relevant authorities in the Russian Embassy and seek permission to enter the residential premises of a Russian diplomat, who was last seen in her company on July 4, 2025.
The top court had on May 22 directed that the exclusive custody of the child be given to the mother for three days a week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and for the remaining days, the child was directed to remain in the exclusive custody of his father. It had directed the Deputy Commissioners of Police (South East and South) and the station house officers of Lajpat Nagar and Defence Colony police stations to maintain a discreet but effective vigil over the residential premises of both parties.
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