Russian woman in dispute over child custody fled India illegally: Centre to SC

New Delhi [India], July 21 (ANI): The Central government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that the Russian woman at the centre of a child custody dispute with her Indian husband has allegedly exited India through extralegal means.
Appearing before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati stated that the woman was traced to Russia through her IP address. However, the ASG clarified that this information remains subject to confirmation as the investigation is still underway.
"We need confirmation from the concerned airline in Nepal. Informally, we have the boarding pass, but formal verification is pending," the ASG said, seeking additional time for authorities to confirm travel details.
According to the ASG, the woman who has been missing since July 7 initially travelled to Bihar. She then exited India and got to Nepal. Subsequently she flew to Sharjah in UAE and then to Russia.
The bench questioned whether officials from the Russian Embassy may have colluded in facilitating her exit from India. In response, the ASG said that the Ministry of External Affairs, in coordination with the Delhi Police, is actively investigating the matter and examining all possibilities.
The court observed that if the woman indeed left the country in violation of the court's orders, she would be in contempt of court's orders. It then directed the Centre and Delhi Police to file a comprehensive status report and listed the matter for further hearing next week.
In the last hearing, the Central government had informed the Supreme Court that the Russian woman who has allegedly absconded with her four-year-old son amid a child custody dispute with her Indian husband has not left the country through legal channels but remains "untraceable."
The bench had issued specific directions to Indian authorities to expedite their probe to trace the missing woman and the child. (ANI)