Singapore Dad Wins Custody of Son in India

A Pune family court has ordered interim custody of a minor boy to his father, who resides in Singapore. The decision came after the mother repeatedly defied court orders from both Singapore and India and blocked the father's access to their child. The couple married in 2012 and had a son in March 2016. They relocated to Singapore in 2022, where the father worked and the child attended an international school.

In March 2025, the mother brought the child to Pune while the father was traveling, enrolling him in a local school without his knowledge and refusing to return him. Consequently, both Singapore and Indian courts issued custody orders in the father's favor, which the mother ignored. The Pune family court, emphasizing the child's welfare, noted the mother's non-cooperation and instances where the child was allegedly pressured to speak negatively about his father.

The court found the mother's evasion of judicial orders unacceptable. It also considered the child's established life in Singapore, including his schooling and friendships. While the mother raised allegations of domestic violence and misconduct against the father, the court deferred ruling on these matters until a full trial, stating that a person accused of misconduct is not automatically an unfit parent.