State Of Gujarat & 3 ­

1.0 Present Special Criminal Application under Article 227 of the Constitution of India has been preferred by the applicant­ mother to quash and set aside the impugned judgment and order dated 22.2.2011 passed by the learned Principal Sessions Judge, City Civil Court, Ahmedabad passed in Criminal Appeal No.475 of 2010 and consequently to give custody of her minor child namely “Rehan” aged about three years who is in custody of respondent no.2 to 4 to her.

2.0 That the applicants herein had filed the complaint before the learned Metropolitan Magistrate, Court No.25, Ahmedabad against respondent nos. 2 to 4 herein under the provisions of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”). That in the said complaint, the applicant submitted the application for appropriate interim order of custody of her minor son, under Section 23 of the Act, which was numbered as Criminal Miscellaneous Application No. 101 of 2009. At the outset, it is required to be noted that at the time when the said application was submitted her minor son was aged 11 months only. It was the case on behalf of the applicant­mother that the concerned respondent nos. 2 to 4 for forcibly took the custody of the minor son “Rehan”. That considering the interest of minor child, the learned Metropolitan Magistrate Court No. 25, Ahmedabad passed an order dated 5.4.2010 directing to give interim custody of minor “Rehan” to the applicant­mother during the pendency of the proceedings under the Act. The learned Magistrate also passed an order that the respondent shall have a visiting right to meet minor Rehan on every Sunday during the office hours. Being aggrieved and dissatisfied with the order passed by the learned Metropolitan Magistrate, Court No.25, dated 5.4.2010 passed below Exh.1 in Criminal Miscellaneous Application No. 101 of 2009 directing to hand over the custody of the minor Rehan to the applicant in exercise of powers under Section 23 of the Act, the respondent nos. 2 to 4 herein preferred Criminal Appeal No. 475 of 2010 before the learned City Civil Court, Ahmedabad and the learned City Civil & Sessions Court by impugned judgment and order has allowed the said appeal and quashed and set aside the order passed by the learned Magistrate handing over the custody of her child to the applicant. Being aggrieved and dissatisfied with the judgment and order passed by the learned City Civil & Sessions Court, Ahmedabad dated 22.2.2011 passed in Criminal Appeal No.475 of 2010, the present applicant has preferred the present application under Article 227 of the Constitution of India.

3.0 Shri Ansari, learned advocate for the applicant has vehemently submitted that the learned Sessions Court has materially erred in rejecting the application of applicant­mother to handover the custody of the minor child to the applicant. It is submitted that learned Sessions Court has wrongly considered the proceedings before the Jyoti Sangh. It is submitted that the further proceedings before the Jyoti Sangh clearly reveals that she wanted her child back and she was ready to go with the respondent only for her child. It is submitted that the said aspect has not been considered by the learned Sessions Court and therefore, the learned Sessions Court has committed grave error in allowing the said appeal and relying upon any statement of the petitioner before the Jyoti Sangh. It is submitted that learned Sessions Court has not considered the interest of the minor child at all. It is submitted that normally the custody of the minor child below 7 years and / or minor is to be given to the mother who can look after the minor better then the father, unless it is found that the wife will not be in a position to take care of the minor and / or she has re­married and / or for some other valid reason. It is submitted that while passing the impugned order, the learned Appellate Court has not considered the aforesaid aspect at all and solely relying upon the earlier alleged statement of the petitioner before the Jyoti Sangh and without considering subsequent development and statement has passed the impugned order which deserves to be quashed and set aside. Therefore, it is requested to allow present Special Criminal Application and quashed and set aside the impugned order passed by the learned Appellate Court and restored the order passed by the learned Magistrate.

4.0 Shri Saiyed, learned advocate has appeared on behalf of respondent nos. 2 to 4. It is submitted that the learned Appellate Court has given cogent reasons for allowing the said appeal and continuing the custody of the minor with respondent nos. 2 to 4 which is not required to be interfered with by this Court in exercise of powers under Article 227 of the Constitution of India. It is further submitted by Shri Saiyed, learned advocate for the respondent nos. 2 to 4 that as such the applicant has left the child and the respondents at the time when the minor was aged 11 months only and since then the custody is with the respondent nos. 2 to 4 and at present the minor is aged three and half years and therefore, looking to the aforesaid facts and circumstance of the case it is requested to continue the custody of the minor with the respondent nos. 2 to 4. By making above submissions, it is requested to dismiss the present application.

5.0 Heard the learned advocates for the respective parties at length. At the outset, it is required to be noted that the age of the minor “Rehan” whose custody is sought by the applicant­mother is aged 3 and half years. It is required to be noted that at the relevant time when the applicant submitted the application before the learned Magistrate, the minor was aged 11 months and time has taken in the proceedings before the learned Magistrate as well as Appellate Court and therefore, merely because custody of the minor “Rehan” is with the respondent nos. 2 to 4 since last more than two years, is no ground to deny the custody of the minor “Rehan” to the applicant. It was the specific case on behalf of applicant that the applicant was deserted and thrown out of house at the time when the minor was aged 11 months. Therefore, as such it cannot be said that applicant has deserted the minor “Rehan”. It appears that the learned Appellate Court has relied upon some statement alleged to have been made by the applicant before the Jyoti Sangh, however has not considered the subsequent statement and case on behalf of the applicant that she is ready and willing to stay with the respondents for her child.

6.0 As stated above, the age of the minor is 3 and half years and at the relevant time when the application was submitted by the applicant he was aged 11 months only. Normally, the custody of the minor is to be with the mother who can take better care of the minor than the husband­father. Father will be out for doing the work and earning and on the other hand the service of the mother will always be available with the minor child and therefore, she can take better care of the child. Unless it is found that the mother has remarried and / or for some other valid reason, it will not be in the interest of the minor child to give the custody of the child to the mother, the custody of the minor can be denied to the mother. In the present case, it is not so. In the present case, it is required to be noted that father is earning by plying the Auto Rickshaw and while passing the impugned order as such learned Appellate Court has not considered the interest of the minor child. Under the circumstance, the impugned order passed by the learned Appellate Court cannot be sustained and same deserve to be quashed and set aside.

7.0 In view of the above and for the reasons stated above, application succeed. The impugned order dated 22.2.2011 passed by the learned Principal Sessions Judge, City Civil Court, Ahmedabad passed in Criminal Appeal No.475 of 2010 is hereby quashed and set aside and order passed by the learned Metropolitan Magistrate Court No.25, dated 5.4.2010 passed in Criminal Miscellaneous Application No. 101 of 2009 is hereby restored and respondent nos. 2 to 4 herein are directed to hand over the custody of minor “Rehan” to the applicant immediately. Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent. D. S. Permitted.

kaushik sd/­ (M.R.SHAH, J.)