It’s ‘natural’ for a dad to have access to his child & spend precious moments, says Bombay HC

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court recently held it is ‘natural’ for a father to have an access to his own child and spend some precious moments with the child. The HC made these observations while allowing a man to meet his daughter and celebrate her birthday.

A single-judge bench of Justice Bharati Dangre heard a plea filed by Nilesh Rode, challenging the orders of Family Court, Bandra. He had moved the bench seeking a limited prayer that was to meet his six years old daughter on her birthday.

Earlier, Rode had approached the Family Court with such a plea, however, the court instead of allowing his application, adjourned the matter for nearly a month. Aggrieved by the same, Rode petitioned Justice Dangre’s bench since his daughter’s birthday was in the first week of March and the Family Court had adjourned the matter till the last week of the month.

Having heard his contention, Justice Dangre passed an ex-parte order saying, “A limited relief is sought by the petitioner who is a father, seeking access to his daughter for a limited period to celebrate her birthday. It is natural for a father to have access to his own child and to spend some precious moment with the child specifically when it is special day for the child as well as the parents.”

Justice Dangre also pulled up the Family Court for not deciding Rode’s plea and instead of posting it after nearly a month. “What is important at the present moment is father having access to his daughter for a limited period, keeping in view the intimate relationship between the father and his daughter. He is the father is entitled to equal access to his daughter and in the opinion of this Court, father cannot be deprived of such an opportunity in the form of access for a limited period,” Justice Dangre said.

Justice Dangre, accordingly allowed Rode to meet his daughter for two hours in the Bandra Court’s Children Complex.