Supreme Court Issues Rare Order to Trace Missing Child, Restrains Russian Mother from Leaving India

In a rare move in a child custody case, the Supreme Court directed Indian authorities to trace a five-year-old child allegedly taken by his Russian mother, who has since gone missing.

The Court ordered Delhi Police to hand over the child to his Indian father without delay, directed seizure of the mother’s passport, and issued look-out notices to prevent her from leaving the country. The bench sought cooperation from the Russian Embassy.

The Court expressed suspicion over the mother’s counsel’s vague responses and warned of future action if Russian embassy officials are found involved in the commission of an offence.