In a dramatic turn in an ongoing custody battle, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed senior Delhi Police officials to immediately trace a Russian woman and her minor child, issuing stringent measures to prevent the two from leaving the country. The apex court also asked the Centre to issue a Look Out Circular (LOC) against the woman and the child.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi ordered the seizure of the mother’s passport and instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs to communicate the order to all immigration authorities at international airports and ports across India. The court expressed concern that the woman may attempt to flee the country with the child in defiance of its earlier custody orders.
The child’s Indian father, who is engaged in a legal custody dispute with his estranged Russian wife, told the court that he had been unaware of their whereabouts since July 7. He alleged repeated inaction despite filing multiple complaints. The court acknowledged the father’s apprehension that the woman had been “facilitated to flee” the court’s jurisdiction and noted claims that she was seen entering the Russian Embassy on July 4 along with a diplomat allegedly connected to her.
“The police have failed to provide protection to the minor child, thereby defying the directions issued by this court,” the bench noted sternly.
While the court refrained from passing any formal directions against Russian Embassy officials, it made it clear that should evidence surface indicating a diplomatic staff member has committed an offence under Indian law, “the law must take its own course.”
In a diplomatic yet firm tone, the bench urged the Russian embassy’s highest authority to cooperate with Indian authorities, including Delhi Police, to ensure compliance with the court’s directives.
The court also directed the Ministry of External Affairs to liaise with the embassy to seek access to the residence of the diplomat last seen with the woman and child. Observing that the woman’s legal counsel had offered “very evasive and vague replies,” the court raised doubts about the bonafides of her representation.
The order has been shared with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, and the Delhi Police Commissioner for urgent compliance. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on July 18, with the court requiring a detailed status report from authorities.
Earlier, on May 22, 2025, the Supreme Court had issued a structured custody arrangement—granting the mother custody for three days a week and the father for the remaining four. The woman, a Russian national residing in India since 2019 on an X-1 visa (subsequently extended by court orders), has reportedly violated the custody terms, prompting this escalated intervention.
The court had also previously instructed the Deputy Commissioners of Police (South East and South) and Station House Officers of Lajpat Nagar and Defence Colony to maintain a “discreet but effective vigil” at the residences of both parties.
