Separating 6-month-old twins from their mother is the height of cruelty, Supreme Court reprimands husband:Husband reprimanded for separating children from mother.

News Topical, Digital Desk : The Supreme Court on Thursday termed as the height of cruelty the case of separation of twins aged six months from their mother by an estranged husband due to a marital dispute.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria reprimanded the husband for separating the children from their mother and ordered the estranged couple to appear before the judge in chamber on the next hearing date along with their children, who are now one and a half years old.

The bench said, "The husband has committed extreme cruelty by separating the children, who are only six months old, from their mother. The welfare of the children is paramount. This is a travesty of justice. A child as young as six months cannot be deprived of his mother. This is the height of cruelty."

The Supreme Court made the observation while hearing a petition filed by an estranged husband seeking transfer of matrimonial proceedings initiated by his wife in Lucknow to Punjab.

The husband's lawyer said the court should not change the status quo regarding the twins, as it would be detrimental to them. The bench told the lawyer that no nanny or grandmother can care for six-month-old babies the way their mother can.

The husband's lawyer claimed that the wife had left the home on her own and was not interested in custody of the children. The bench told the lawyer that if she was not interested in custody of her twin children (a son and a daughter), she would not have pursued the matter all the way to the Supreme Court.

The woman's lawyer stated that the husband is an alcoholic and is unwilling to see the children even on video calls. The husband's lawyer stated that he has filed several cases in Lucknow and is seeking their transfer.

The bench also noted that the woman is a teacher and her husband is a businessman. It asked the husband how much maintenance he is willing to provide to his wife. He should file his response. The next hearing is on February 26th and he should appear in court with both children.