1 MSS IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY APPELLATE SIDE APPELLATE SIDE APPELLATE SIDE CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 267 OF 2007 IN FAMILY COURT APPEAL NO. 185 OF 2007 ELLAHEM NENSEY ) residing at K-1, Breach Candy ) Apartment Bhulabhai Desai Road ) MUMBAI 400 026 ) .. APPELLANT Vs. MOHAMMED NENSEY ) residing at Bungalow No. 25 ) Serve No. 169, Aarey Milk Colony Goregaon (E) MUMBAI 400 065 ) .. RESPONDENT Mr. Sanjay A. Bhatia for the appellant Mr. A. Y. Sakhare, Sr. Counsel i/b N. V. Bandiwadekar for respondent CORAM:SMT.RANJANA DESAI & SMT. R.P. SONDURBALDOTA, JJ. DATE ON WHICH THE JUDGMENT IS RESERVED : 5TH MAY, 2008. DATE ON WHICH THE JUDGMENT IS PRONOUNCED: 6TH MAY, 2008 ORAL JUDGMENT:-(Smt. Ranjana Desai, J.) 2 1. Appellant is the original respondent-wife-mother. Respondent is the original petitioner-husband-father. For convenience, we shall refer to the appellant as wife or mother and to the respondent as husband or father. 2. This is wife’s civil application praying that pending disposal of the instant appeal, the decree of handing over custody of child Omar to the husband be stayed. 3. Appellant-wife and respondent husband were married on 1/3/97. They are Sunni Muslims. On 25/9/97 child Omar was born. There were difference between the husband and wife which ultimately led to the husband pronouncing Talaq on 29/3/99. 4. Wife filed Custody Petition Lodging No. 3689 of 1989 and sought custody of Omar. In those proceedings she filed Interim Petition (Lodging) No. 370 of 1998. She claimed immediate custody of Omar at interim stage. On 10/9/98 learned Single Judge directed the husband to hand over custody of minor Omar to the wife. Being aggrieved by this order the husband filed Appeal No.949 of 1998 before the Division Bench of this court. A 3 settlement was arrived at and the said appeal came to be disposed of in terms of the consent order. As per the Consent Terms, custody of Omar was to be given to the wife. The husband was entitled to keep Omar with him on every weekend from 2,.00 p.m. on Friday to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Clause 3 thereof provided that after Omar starts going to school, the husband will be entitled to keep Omar with him and take Omar out for a period equivalent to half of the school vacation. 5. Thereafter the husband filed Interim Petition (Lodging) No. 442 of 1999 in the above referred Custody Petition. By order dated 27/10/99, learned Single Judge dismissed the petition. That order was challenged by the husband in Appeal No. 1309 of 1999 before the Division Bench. By order dated 16//11/99 the Division Bench dismissed the petition. Thereafter the husband filed Petition No. D-11 of 2003 before the Family Court, Mumbai and prayed for permanent custody of Omar. 6. The Family Court recorded evidence. Claim Petition was filed by the husband. He was examined. Wife filed her claim affidavit. She was cross-examined. The Family Court perused the 4 Marriage Counselor’s reports which are at Exhibits 85 and 86. The Family Court also interviewed the child. From the impugned order it appears that Omar told learned Judge of the Family Court that his permanent custody should be given to his father as he is more comfortable with the father. Learned Judge of the Family Court has observed that she enquired with the child whether because of luxurious lifestyle which the father is offering him, he wants to go to the father. Learned Judge has quoted Omar as saying that he gets more love and affection at the father’s house than at the mother’s house. Learned Judge has observed that Omar repeated the same thing in the presence of the parents. Learned Judge has expressed that Omar did not appear to be tutored. Learned Judge has also expressed that from the marriage counsellor’s reports it appears that Omar appears to be happy with his father. Learned Judged in the circumstances concluded that under the Mohammedan Law the father is the natural guardian after the age of 7 years. She also relied on Clause 3 of the Consent Terms which states that after Omar starts going to school, the father shall be entitled to keep Omar with him. Learned Judge also observed that the father is paying Rs.10,000/- as 5 maintenance to the wife and there is no evidence about financial capacity of the mother. Learned Judge observed that father would be best suited to be the natural guardian. Learned Judge declared the husband to be the permanent guardian of Omar. The arrangement of school was to continue till the next academic year and thereafter the husband could get Omar admitted to the school of his choice. Access to the mother was from Friday 4 p.m. to Sunday 7 p.m. The wife has challenged this order in this appeal. The appeal has been admitted on 22/10/07. On 5/10/07 on the instant application, this court has passed order of status quo. Affidavits and counter affidavits have been filed by both sides. On 22/4/08, we interviewed Omar in our Chamber. We also interviewed the parents. We have heard learned counsel for the parties. 7. Mr. Bhatia, learned counsel for the appellant contended that the Family Court has erred in holding that father would be best suited to be the natural guardian and in granting permanent custody of Omar to the father. He submitted that it was not open to the father to seek custody of Omar after having entered into Consent Terms with the wife and having agreed to custody being given to 6 the wife. He submitted that Learned Judge has wrongly interpreted clause 3 of the Consent Terms. He submitted that learned Judge has wrongly relied on Muslim Law because the husband has chosen to make an application under the Guardian and Wards Act and the necessary declaration is not made. 8. Learned Counsel urged that the husband is not a fit person to be declared as a guardian. He drew our attention to the affidavit of the wife dated 28/4/08 in which it is stated that a number of civil and criminal cases and Income Tax proceedings are pending against the husband. He submitted that the husband has admitted that he was in jail for 14 days. He is, therefore, a person of doubtful moral character. He submitted that though Omar has expressed that he wants to live with his father, he is not averse to his mother. He is attracted to the father because the father being extremely rich offers him a very good lifestyle which mother cannot do. Learned Counsel submitted that Omar loves his mother. So far he has done well in the school. Campian is a very good school and if Omar’s custody is disturbed and his school is changed, that will have adverse effect on Omar’s career. Learned Counsel submitted that the husband 7 is an Australian Citizen and he may take Omar to Australia. Learned Counsel urged that in the circumstances during the pendency of this appeal Omar’s custody be retained with the wife. 9. On the other hand learned counsel for the husband submitted that all allegations levelled against the husband are false. He submitted that the husband cannot be permanently debarred from becoming a guardian because he has signed consent terms. He submitted that custody arrangements are always flexible. They are never permanent. He further submitted that Omar has all along expressed his wish to be with his father. Wishes of child must override all other considerations. Learned Counsel drew our attention to the affidavit of the husband dated 30/4/08, where the husband has explained the cases filed against him. He submitted that most of the cases are of a civil nature. In many cases husband is the complainant. Some of the cases are under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. So far as case registered against the husband by the Economic Offences Wing is concerned, learned counsel pointed out that in that case the husband has been discharged. Learned counsel submitted that 8 atmosphere in the husband’s home is good. Financial condition of the husband is very sound. He submitted that there are renowned ICSC Schools in Goregaon where Omar can be admitted. They offer the same course as the present school of Omar. Learned Counsel submitted that in the circumstances cutody of Omar be given to the husband and sufficient access be directed to be given to the wife. 10. At the outset, we must note that when we interviewed Omar in our chamber, Omar appeared to us to be a well brought up, well groomed child. For his age, he showed good amount of maturity. We could, however, see how stressed he is because of the discord between his parent. He is obviously torn between the two. He told us that he loves his father and mother equally, but he wants his custody to be given to his father. He stated that he would stay with his mother from Friday to Sunday or on whichever day she wants him to be with her. He stated that he enjoys staying with mother as well as father and he has friends at both places. He did not have anything adverse to say about his mother’s family or father’s family. It must be said to the credit of the mother that she has not 9 tutored him at all. 11. We also interviewed the parents. They do not possess educational qualifications. Both obviously tried to put up their view point before us to the best of their ability, but it was apparent that the child’s welfare was uppermost in their mind. We must note that undoubtedly to some extent Omar is attracted to the father because of the comfortable lifestyle which he is offering to him. But it would be wrong to say that that is the only reason why he wants to be with his father. There appears to be some bond between the two. 12. On merits both sides have made their submissions forcefully. It is true that under the Consent Terms, the custody of Omar was to be with the mother. It is argued that now the husband cannot ask for custody. It is argued that clause 3 of Consent Terms is wrongly interpreted. At this interim stage, we do not wish to go into legal submissions. Legal submissions can be taken care of at the final hearing of this appeal. But prima facie at this stage we feel that arrangement as regards custody of a child is always flexible. Depending on facts and circumstances of the case 10 and wishes of the child it can always be varied. 13. It is argued that various criminal civil and Income Tax proceedings are pending against the husband. Husband is a businessman. From the affidavit-in-reply filed by the husband dated 28/4/08 and 30/4/08 it appears that some of these cases are civil cases. Some cases are under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act filed against M/s. Royal Palms (India) Pvt. Ltd. and its Directors including the husband. In some of the cases the husband is the complainant. Some are Income-Tax Appeals filed against assessment orders. It is true that the husband has admitted that he was in jail in connection with a cheating case. But he is discharged from the said case. The discharge order dated 27/2/06 is annexed to his affidavit. The husband is present in the court. On instructions from him his counsel Mr. Sakhare has made a statement that no other cases apart from those mentioned in the affidavits are pending against the husband. Considering the nature of cases and the fact that the husband has been discharged in the cheating case, we feel that pendency of these cases cannot operate as a disqualification on the basis of which the husband 11 can be deprived of the custody of Omar. 14. We also feel that the husband will be able to give good education to Omar because of his sound financial position. Omar will also be taken care of by the grandparents. We may not,however, be understood to have expressed that the wife and her family has not looked after Omar well. We have already expressed that Omar has been brought up well. He is doing well in the school. He is not tutored. Credit of this must go to the mother. We did not find the mother any the less caring or competent to lookafter Omar. None can take the mother’s place in a child’s life. But what has really weighed with us is the fact that Omar has told us that he wants to stay with his father. He has told us that he is willing to stay with his mother on weekends or as and when she desires. He has expressed the same desire to the Family Court. Two counselor’s report are on record. Omar has repeated the same desire to the counselors. In the circumstances, other things being equal, we have no option but to direct that interim custody of Omar be given to the father with sufficient access to the mother. 12 15. However, we do not want to disturb Omar’s studies. He is presently studying in Campian School. It is a reputed school. He is doing well in the school. The wife is staying near the school. The husband is staying at Goregaon. The husband wants to admit the child in some reputed school near his house. Mr. Sakhare, learned counsel for the husband has told us that it will be possible for the husband to admit Omar in any of the reputed schools situate near his house which offer ICSC course. We feel that Omar cannot be removed from his present school in midterm and admitted in another school, however, good it may be. Omar is used to a particular set of teachers and friends and to the atmosphere of Campion School. If we permit him to be removed from the Campion School at this stage, it may adversely affect his studies. We are informed that the husband has a house in Colaba. We requested counsel for the husband to ask him to stay in that house along with Omar and allow Omar to complete this academic year and then admit him in some school at Goregaon. The husband refused this offer. He stated that every morning Omar will be brought from Goregaon to Colaba to attend the school and then taken back. We cannot permit this. 13 Omar cannot be made to travel such a long distance twice in a day. That will affect his health and studies. In the circumstances till the academic year ends Omar should continue to stay with his mother, because he also loves his mother. He is not averse to her. The order of access which is operating now should operate till the academic year ends. After the end of the academic year, the husband can admit Omar in any good school near his house. After admission is secured interim custody of Omar shall stand transferred to the husband and mother will have access from Friday to Sunday. Such order will serve the ends of justice and will be in tune with the wishes of Omar. 16. Hence the following order: a) Till the present academic year ends the interim custody of Omar shall be with his mother the appellant herein. Present arrangement of access to the respondent shall continue i.e. from Friday 4 a.m. to Sunday 4 p.m. Vacation access will continue as it is today. b) After the present academic year ends, the husband shall secure admission for Omar in any good 14 school near his residence. Interim custody of Omar shall then stand transferred to his father the respondent herein. The appellant mother shall have access to Omar from Friday 4 p.m. to Sunday 4 p. m. Vacations will be shared equally by the father and the mother. c) Omar will not be taken out of India unless permitted by this court. d) We make it clear that, we have not expressed any opinion on the merits of the case. e) Liberty to the parties to approach this court, if circumstances so demand. JUDGE JUDGE 15 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY APPELLATE SIDE CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 267 OF 2007 IN FAMILY COURT APPEAL NO. 185 OF 2007 DATE ON WHICH THE JUDGMENT IS RESERVED : _____TH MAY, 2008 DATE ON WHICH THE JUDGMENT IS PRONOUNCED: ____ TH MAY, 2008 Transcription of Judgment / Order. Submitted for approval. 16 THE HON’BLE (SMT.) JUSTICE RANJANA DESAI: THE HON’BLE (SMT.) JUSTICE R.P. SONDURBALDOTA: 1. Whether Reporters of Local Papers ) be allowed to see the Judgment? ) 2. To be referred to the Reporters or ) not? ) 3. Whether Their Lordships wish to ) see the fair copy of the Judgment? ) 4. Whether this case involves a ) substantial question of law as to ) the interpretation of the ) Constitution of India, 1950 or any ) Order made thereunder? ) 5. Whether it is to be circulated to ) the Civil Judges? ) 6. Whether the case involves an impor- ) tant question of law and whether ) a copy of the judgment should be ) sent to Nagpur, Aurangabad and Goa ) Offices? )