HC asks Delhi Police to trace man, 3-yr-old Ukrainian son on mother's plea
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police to trace an Indian man and his three-year-old Ukrainian son, who is claimed to have been illegally brought to India during the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.
The court was informed by the child's mother, a Ukrainian, that she and her ex-husband were divorced and though the minor's custody was granted to her by a court there, the man took their son away without informing her.
"The first priority is to locate your son. We will hear you thereafter. We will ask further questions if needed, once your son is located," a bench of justices Siddharth Mridul and Amit Sharma said.
The high court issued notice to the ministries of home and external affairs, Delhi Police and the man on the woman's petition.
It granted time to the counsel for the Centre and the Delhi government to seek instructions in the matter and listed the matter for further hearing on November 14.
"You only need to tell us if they (man and son) have entered India," the bench told central government standing counsel Ajay Digpaul, who was representing the Ministry of External Affairs.
It further said, "In the meantime, the Delhi Police is directed to locate the man and the three-year-old minor son and request them to appear before this court at the earliest."
In her petition, the woman, who was communicating with the court through a translator, said the man was sighted in Assam and Bihar.
"When you have information that he is in Guwahati, why you did not move to Gauhati High Court. Now Delhi Police will be hard pressed to locate them in Assam. It is your own case that he is sighted in Assam or Bihar and you are moving Delhi High Court," the bench told the petitioner's counsel who was present in the court.
It further asked how the court could direct that the child be sent back to Ukraine in such turbulent times.
"Can you give us guarantee that presently any area in Ukraine is safe... Is she certain that her ex-husband and child are in India," the bench said to which the woman's translator responded that she was completely sure that the kid is in the territory of India.
The woman, in her petition filed through advocate Sravan Kumar, claimed that her son was kidnapped by her ex-husband on March 23 when he had taken the child for a walk and did not return.
In 2021, after dissolution of their marriage, the man was granted visitation rights of their minor son.
Besides seeking production of the child, the woman has also sought direction to the CBI or Delhi Police to register a case of alleged kidnapping, illegal travel of minor without valid documents, creation of fabricated Indian passport from Ukraine and causing pain to the petitioner and her daughter.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
