1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY O. O. C. J. Guardianship Petition No.54 of 2008 Sasikant Kanoji Surve. .. .. Petitioner v/s. Gajanand Dutta Ram Tulaskar. .. .. Respondent Ms.Sageena A . i/by Mr.Abhay Sharma for Petitioner. Ms.Sulbha S. Joshi for Respondent. ----- CORAM : SMT.ROSHAN DALVI, J. Dated : 17 th September, 2008 P.C. : 1. The Petitioner is the maternal grand- father of the minor child Priya Tulaskar. Her parents had divorced in 2004. Respondent is her father. 2. Under the consent divorce decree, her father had paid an alimony of Rs.2,20,000/- to the minor child. Her mother had invested the said amount in a room. The room stands in the name of her mother as she was a minor. 3. Her mother expired in 2005. The minor child was maintained by the Petitioner thereafter. The father, who is the natural and legal guardian of the minor child, thereafter claimed access and obtained custody of the child. The minor child now lives with her father. Her father, as the natural as well 2 as the legal guardian, is entitled to keep her custody. He is duty bound to maintain, support and educate the minor child Priya Tulaskar, who is his daughter. 4. The room, which stands in the name of the mother, is leased to a third party. Certain rent/compensation/licence fee of Rs.2,000/- is being earned. That amount shall be invested each month by the father, the Respondent herein, with the Accounts Officer of this Court. The Accounts Officer shall invest the said amount each month in a recurring deposit account opened in a Nationalized Bank. The amount shall remain in the said account until the minor attains majority. 5. The father, as the natural guardian, shall take care of the maintenance and upkeep of the said property which legally belongs to the minor child during her minority in view of the fact that he is appointed her guardian. If the property undergoes any redevelopment, the father of the minor child, the Respondent herein, shall enter into all Agreements and sign on behalf of the minor child and in the name of the minor child until she attains majority. If a new premises is allotted in lieu of the present room which stands in the name of the mother of the minor child, that room shall be obtained by the father from the developers in the name of the minor child showing him as her guardian. It shall continue in such 3 name until she attains majority. 6. If the Respondent does not want to maintain the property, he may hand over the said property to the Petitioner in which case the Petitioner shall maintain the property for and on behalf of the minor child until she attains majority. 7. The Petition is disposed of accordingly. [SMT.ROSHAN DALVI, J.]