HC suggests marriage to warring live-in couple

The Bombay high court on Monday asked a warring live-in couple whether they would like to settle their issues amicably and get married.

The Bombay high court on Monday asked a warring live-in couple whether they would like to settle their issues amicably and get married.

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The woman, who has filed a petition for the custody of the couple’s child, refused to re-unite, following which the court said it would hear the case on merits.

The woman alleged that the couple’s three-year-old daughter was kidnapped by the man, with whom she had a live-in relationship for several years. When the court was informed that a case of kidnapping has been registered against the man, justice AM Khanwilkar said: “You [police] can wait till further hearing of the petition. There is no need to arrest him now."

The habeas corpus petition said that the woman had gone to live with her mother along with the child after he allegedly refused to marry her when the baby was born.

Later, when the woman went to Dubai for a job leaving the child in her mother’s care, the man allegedly took the child away, the petition said, adding that he also took some jewellery with him.

The petition stated that when the woman came back to Mumbai and lodged a complaint with the Trombay police station, the police did not take any action due to which she had moved the high court.

As per directions of the high court last week, the man appeared before the court along with the child.

The woman’s lawyer LH Pol said the judges interviewed the couple in the judge’s chamber on Monday and asked if they would like to settle the matter amicably and get married.

The woman, however, refused and said that she only wanted the custody of her child, Pol said.

The court has directed the man to file an affidavit in reply to the petition by September 6, and the child will remain in his custody till then.