A child custody case has taken a serious turn after a Russian woman and her four-and-a-half-year-old son went missing on July 7. The woman's husband, an Indian citizen, informed the Supreme Court that he last saw her on July 4, when she was reportedly seen entering the Russian Embassy in New Delhi through a backdoor. 

He also alleged that she may be involved in a relationship with a diplomat from the embassy, as reported by news agency PTI. Following these claims, the Supreme Court directed the Indian government to issue a lookout notice to prevent her from leaving the country with the child.

On July 17, the Supreme Court also asked the police and other authorities to seize the woman’s passport. It ordered that all international airports, ports, and immigration points be informed, so she and the child are not allowed to leave India.

The child’s father also claimed that the Delhi Police did not follow the court’s previous orders and failed to ensure the child’s safety. He said this failure allowed the woman to take the boy and disappear, going against the court’s instructions.

Court asks Russian Embassy to cooperate with police

The Supreme Court said it was not giving any direct instructions to the Russian Embassy due to diplomatic rules. However, the bench clearly said:

“We do not hesitate to observe that if, on the basis of the police report, we find any diplomatic personnel attached or connected to the said embassy have prima facie committed an offence within the framework of the penal laws of this country, the law must take its own course.”

The court also asked the Russian Embassy to cooperate with the Indian authorities, including the Delhi Police, and help in following the court’s orders. It said the order must be shared with top police and legal officials for immediate action.

The court also criticised the woman’s lawyer for giving unclear answers about her location, raising doubts about the truth of their statements.

The woman has been living in India since 2019 on an X-1 visa, which has been extended many times by the court while the custody case was ongoing.

The custody case was being handled carefully earlier. The Supreme Court had first ordered that the child should spend 20 hours a day with the father and 4 hours with the mother for two months. Later, this was changed to give the mother custody for three days a week and the father for four days.

On May 22, the court had also directed the Delhi Police to quietly keep watch on both parents’ homes. But despite these orders, the woman and her son went missing. The court is now working to locate them.

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