Parents can’t play children against each other: Bombay HC

The Bombay High Court recently observed that “neither of the parents can be permitted to play the children against one another in furtherance of unfortunate acrimony that has developed between them” while hearing a custody matter where the mother had alleged that the children refused to go with their father.

The court had earlier passed access orders giving visiting rights to the father which were not complied with. The HC said that the mother’s stance that the children were scared to go with their father, “ virtually amounts to defiance of the orders made by the court”.

The mother had asked the court to interview the children. A similar request was made earlier also but the interview was deferred. Their father was not in favour of the same and had alleged that she was trying to influence the children.

“In such circumstances, no useful purpose would be served by interviewing the children, rather such interview might have caused further trauma to the children,” said Justice M S SonaK.