Nawazuddin Siddiqui, ex-wife summoned by HC for an amicable solution of issues

Siddiqui filed the petition seeking to know the whereabouts of his two minor children- a 12 and a 7-year-old after their school wrote him an email stating that the children were not attending classes and would be rusticated. The petition claimed that though the children were in the custody of his estranged wife Aaliya in Dubai

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) on Thursday asked actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his estranged wife Aaliya Siddiqui, also known as Zainab, to remain present in court on April 3 to explore the possibility of an amicable solution to the issues between them for the sake of their children.

MUMBAI, INDIA - AUGUST 16, 2016 : Nawazuddin Siddiqui with his wife Aaliya and son Yaani was spotted at Airport on Tuesday August 16, 2016 in Mumbai, India. (Freelance photo by Yogen Shah) (Yogen Shah)

The court said it will meet the couple in chambers so that the apprehension expressed by the actor in his petition regarding the whereabouts of his children after they stopped attending school in Dubai could be taken care of.

The division bench of justice Revati Mohite Dere and justice Sharmila Deshmukh while hearing the habeas corpus petition of Siddiqui was informed that as directed by the court earlier, the actor had prepared consent terms and sent it to his wife, but he was yet to get a reply. His counsel, advocate Pradeep Thorat said that the actor’s estranged wife did not want to settle the dispute amicably.

Siddiqui filed the petition seeking to know the whereabouts of his two minor children- a 12 and a 7-year-old after their school wrote him an email stating that the children were not attending classes and would be rusticated. The petition claimed that though the children were in the custody of his estranged wife Aaliya in Dubai, after she returned to India without them, he was not aware of their whereabouts.

Advocate Chaitanya Purankar representing the estranged wife said that she wanted to settle the dispute, but the draft consent terms sent by the actor had nothing in it for her and hence she could not agree to it.

On the concern of the actor that the children were missing school, Purankar assured the court that the children were attending school online. However, the actor argued that the respondent was making false statements before the court as no online schooling was available.

After hearing the submissions, the bench said that it was concerned for the children and hence asked the actor and his estranged wife to explore the possibility of an amicable settlement and remain present in the judge’s chambers on April 3. The court also asked the wife to bring the children along.

Earlier this month, the lawyer for the estranged wife had told the court that the “situation in the house was so hostile” that he was not able to speak to his client and therefore could not file an affidavit in reply to the habeas corpus (produce the person) petition by the actor. The actor’s estranged wife, Aaliya, had also claimed that she was thrown out of her in-laws’ house. In February, Siddiqui’s mother Mehrunisa Siddiqui had filed an FIR against Aaliya, accusing her of trespassing at her residence.

The actor has also filed a defamation suit in the high court against his brother Shamasuddin and Aaliya, seeking ₹100 crore as damages for the defamation and harassment he allegedly faced due to their misleading claims.