The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied the mother of Bengaluru techie, who died by suicide in December, custody of her grandson by saying that she is a “stranger to the child”.
The 34-year-old software engineer, originally from Uttar Pradesh, had alleged harassment and extortion at the hands of his estranged wife and her family in his detailed suicide note.
The deceased’s mother had sought the custody of her four-year-old grandson on the grounds that her daughter-in-law kept the child’s location a secret, news agency PTI reported.
However, a top court bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and N Kotiswar Singh said the issue of the child’s custody could be raised before the court that is conducting the trial.
ALSO READ | Bengaluru: Wife of techie who died by suicide gets bail in abetment case
“Sorry to say but the child is a stranger to the petitioner. If you wish, please visit the child. In case you want the custody of the child, there is a separate procedure,” the bench observed.
{{/usCountry}}“Sorry to say but the child is a stranger to the petitioner. If you wish, please visit the child. In case you want the custody of the child, there is a separate procedure,” the bench observed.
{{/usCountry}}The apex court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by the late techie’s mother.
The counsel appearing for the deceased’s estranged wife informed the court that the child was studying at boarding school in Haryana. “We will take the child to Bengaluru. We have taken the boy out of school. The mother has to remain in Bengaluru to fulfil the bail conditions,” the counsel said.
Meanwhile, advocate Kumar Dushyant Singh, appearing for the deceased’s mother, argued that a child below the age of six years should not be sent to a boarding school. He also brought in photos of the petitioner’s interaction with the child when he was just two-years-old.
ALSO READ | Bengaluru techie suicide: Accused in-laws 'flee' UP home amid police probe
The apex court then directed the concerned parties that the child be produced in court during the next hearing on January 20, saying that this case could not be decided on the basis of a media trial.
Following the discovery of the techie’s suicide note and a video note detailing the harassment by his wife and her family, police had booked the latter under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 108(abetment of suicide) and 3(5) (common intention).
The deceased’s estranged wife, her mother and her brother were granted bail by a Bengaluru civil court on January 4.
(with PTI inputs)