Gujarat high court gifts father custody of love child

He couldn't have had a better Father's Day present. NRG Samir from London, whose love child Hiral's custody was assigned to his former partner and the child's mother Sakshi, will be reunited with his daughter for a week.

As per an order issued by justice RR Tripathi of the Gujarat high court, the custody of the 19-month old child has been given to her father for seven days, from June 19 to 27.

DNA had, last month, published a series of reports on this unique legal battle between the much-married Sakshi from Vadodara who went to London to study, and ended up in a relationship with businessman Samir, also from Gujarat. Their love bore a child, whose custody they both have been fighting for.

However, the twist came when Sakshi's husband Alok and his family came forward to accept Sakshi's love child.

Looking at the circumstances of the case, the high court handed over Hiral's custody to Sakshi for a month, on May 10 this year.

During a further hearing on Friday, Samir moved an application before the court requesting Hiral's custody. Samir said in his application that he has not seen Hiral for a month, while she once used to stay with him. Besides, Sunday is Father's Day, and he therefore wants her custody.

However, Sakshi's lawyer protested, saying that as Father's Day, on June 20, is a one-day affair, the court should grant only a two-day custody.

After hearing both the sides, justice Tripathi allowed Samir to have his daughter's custody for seven days, from June 19 to 27.

Sakshi and Samir's legal battle has been an eventful one so far.

Sakshi had first filed a suit before a local court in London for the baby girl's custody, but as her visa period was scheduled to end, and also because the couple is originally from India, the court instructed her to claim the girl's custody in a Gujarat court.

The couple tried all sorts of legal tools on each other. Samir was instrumental in having Sakshi sent back to Gujarat, by lodging a complaint against her in the immigration department in London.

Sakshi on her part, also filed a criminal complaint in a local police station in south Gujarat, saying that Samir abducted Hiral and threatened her. She also filed a suit in the London high court for Hiral's custody, alleging that Samir perpetrated atrocities on her and had an affair with another woman in London. However, the London high court referred the case to the Gujarat high court.
(Names have been changed to protect identity)