{"id":374403,"date":"2026-02-02T11:30:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T06:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=374403"},"modified":"2026-02-02T11:58:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T06:28:23","slug":"del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/","title":{"rendered":"Delhi High Court upholds custody transfer to father on ground of sustained &#8220;parental alienation&#8221; by mother"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.animate-charcter{background-image: linear-gradient(-225deg, #231557 0%, #44107a 29%, #ff1361 67%, #fff800 100%); background-size: 200% auto; -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; animation: textclip 0s linear infinite;}\n@keyframes textclip {to {background-position: 200% center;}}\n<\/style>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;\">\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Delhi High Court:<\/span> In an appeal arises out of a protracted custody dispute between estranged spouses concerning their two minor children, further involving allegations and counter-allegations of matrimonial cruelty, parental alienation and abuse of legal process, a Division Bench of Anil Kshetarpal and <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar,*<\/span> JJ., dismissed the matrimonial appeal and upheld the judgment of the Family Court directing that the custody of both minor children be handed over to the father, along with structured visitation and communication rights for the mother.<\/p>\n<h3>Factual Matrix<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Appellant-wife and the Respondent-husband were married on 26-09-2011 and have two children, a son born on 29-04-2013 and a daughter born on 24-01-2019. After marriage, the parties resided together at Habra, District North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, along with the respondent&#8217;s parents. The son was admitted to school at Habra and the family lived together until September 2018.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The father alleged that on 04-09-2018, the wife left the matrimonial home under the pretext of going to work and later conveyed her intention to proceed to her parental home at Siliguri, leaving the minor son behind. It was further alleged that on 09-09-2018, the wife accompanied by her father and others, removed the child from the husband&#8217;s home without any order of a competent court.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The wife, on the other hand, alleged that she was subjected to physical assault, verbal abuse, and mental harassment, including an incident of assault while she was four months pregnant, compelling her to leave the matrimonial home. She initiated criminal proceedings under Sections <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0001561850\" target=\"_blank\">498-A<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0001561860\" target=\"_blank\">506<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0002726960\" target=\"_blank\">IPC<\/a> and under the Domestic Violence Act.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Subsequently, multiple proceedings were instituted by both parties across jurisdictions. Guardianship proceedings initiated by the father were transferred ultimately to the Family Court at Patiala House Courts, New Delhi pursuant to orders of the Supreme Court. During this period, the wife relocated multiple times with the children and eventually secured employment in the United Kingdom in August 2023, while the children continued to reside in India with their maternal grandparents.<\/p>\n<h3>Procedural History<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">By judgment dated 01-07-2024, the Family Court allowed the father&#8217;s petition under the Guardians and Wards Act and directed that custody of both minor children be handed over to the father, recording categorical findings of <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">&#8220;sustained parental alienation&#8221;<\/span> by the mother. The Family Court granted structured visitation and communication rights to the mother, along with restrictions on relocation of the children.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Aggrieved by the Family Court&#8217;s decision, the mother preferred the present matrimonial appeal. During its pendency, the father instituted contempt proceedings alleging violation of interim orders granting him access to the children and non-compliance with directions relating to updation of records concerning paternity.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">With consent of parties, both the appeal and the contempt petition were heard together and disposed of by a common judgment.<\/p>\n<h3>Moot Points<\/h3>\n<ol style=\"list-style-type: decimal;\">\n<li>\n<p>Whether the Family Court erred in granting sole custody of the minor children to the father?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Whether the principle of &#8220;welfare and best interest of the child&#8221; was correctly applied?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Whether allegations of abuse and the expressed wishes of the children warranted interference?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Whether findings of parental alienation were sustainable?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Court&#8217;s Analysis<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court reiterated that in matters of custody, the <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">&#8220;welfare and best interest of the child is the paramount consideration&#8221;<\/span>, and such consideration must override competing claims of either parent. The Court emphasised that custody disputes cannot be decided on presumptive doctrines or parental entitlements, but must be anchored in a holistic assessment of the child&#8217;s physical, emotional, psychological and moral well-being.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court expressly questioned the continued mechanical application of the <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">tender years doctrine<\/span>, observing that it is founded on <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">&#8220;a highly stereotypical premise&#8221;<\/span> that which assumed the father to be the breadwinner and the mother to be the sole caregiver. The Court held that such rigid compartmentalisation of parental roles no longer accords with contemporary realities, particularly where both parents are educated and professionally engaged. It was therefore held that custody adjudication must rest on the principle of best interests of the children, rather than on presumptive maternal preference.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court found no perversity in the Family Court&#8217;s conclusion that the wife&#8217;s conduct reflected <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">&#8220;a sustained effort to deny the respondent-father access to the children&#8221;<\/span>. The Court noted that the departure of the mother was not shown to be occasioned by any immediate or compelling threat to the welfare of the child, particularly as she returned after a few days with police personnel to remove the child from the father&#8217;s custody. The Court held that a parent cannot, after deliberately excluding the other parent, assert primary caregiving as a fait accompli. Permitting custody on such a basis would only encourage &#8220;a modus operandi of deliberate exclusion of one parent&#8221;, which would be destructive of the child&#8217;s welfare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"animate-charcter\" style=\"margin-bottom: 3%; margin-left: 36pt; font-weight: bold;\">&#8220;After deliberately keeping the children away from one parent, the other cannot assert, as a fait accompli, that he\/ she has been the primary care-giver. Permitting custody on this basis would only serve to encourage parents to follow a modus operandi of deliberate exclusion of one parent and subsequently raise a plea that he\/ she has been the primary care-giver and resultantly should be permitted to retain custody of the children.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">With regard to the allegations of sexual abuse raised by the mother, the Court held that such grave accusations were neither pleaded initially nor supported by contemporaneous material, and surfaced only at the stage of evidence, despite the claim that the child had disclosed them years earlier, rendered them unreliable. It observed that such allegations appeared to be <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">&#8220;clearly motivated and in the nature of a counterblast to the proceedings initiated by the respondent-father&#8221;<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>On the issue of the children&#8217;s wishes, particularly the son, the Court held that while the views of a child of sufficient age merit consideration, the Court must remain vigilant to ensure that such wishes are not merely the product of prolonged exposure to one-sided narratives. The Court observed that the hostility expressed by the son appeared <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">&#8220;more consistent with a conditioned or influenced response&#8221;<\/span> rather than an independent preference. The Court held that<\/p>\n<p class=\"animate-charcter\" style=\"margin-bottom: 3%; margin-left: 36pt; font-weight: bold;\">&#8220;A child&#8217;s preference, when formed in an environment marked by alienation, cannot be elevated to a veto over judicial determination, for to do so would be to allow the consequences of alienation to harden into its justification.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court also observed that separating the siblings would be inimical to their emotional security and holistic development, noting that siblings constitute a shared emotional universe and act as anchors of reassurance amidst parental discord. The Court held that the welfare of the children lay in a unified upbringing which preserves sibling companionship and facilitates restoration of a balanced parental influence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"animate-charcter\" style=\"margin-bottom: 3%; margin-left: 36pt; font-weight: bold;\">&#8220;Siblings constitute a shared emotional universe, and their bond often functions as an anchor of continuity and reassurance amidst parental discord. To divide them at this stage would risk compounding the emotional trauma already occasioned by prolonged litigation and familial fragmentation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court further emphasised that conferment of custody on the father does not marginalise the role of the mother. The Court asserted that parenthood <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">&#8220;does not recede or dissolve with the loss of custody&#8221;<\/span>, but continues as a shared responsibility, requiring cooperation and constructive contribution towards the child&#8217;s welfare.<\/p>\n<h3>Court&#8217;s Decision<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court dismissed the matrimonial appeal, upheld the judgment of the Family Court granting custody of both children to the father, and reinforced the structured visitation and communication rights of the mother.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court disposed of the contempt proceedings with consequential directions ensuring compliance with access and communication arrangements.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">[<span style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #632423;\">A v. B, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/RAyGn0T3\" target=\"_blank\">2026 SCC OnLine Del 276<\/a><\/span>]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-indent: 18pt;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">*Judgment by Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>Advocates who appeared in this case:<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 18pt;\">Mr. Prosenjeet Banerjee, Ms. Shreya Singhal, Ms. Mhasilenuo Keditsu, Ms. Kushagra and Ms. Anshika, Counsel for the Petitioner<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-left: 18pt;\">Ms. Padma Priya, Ms. Chitrangda Rastrauara, Mr. Abhijeet Singh, Mr. Anirudh Singh, Mr. Aishwary Mishra, Mr. Dhananjay Shekhawat, Mr. Sakshi Aggarwal, Mr. Yuvraj Singh, Ms. Pearl Pundir and Ms. Bhumika, Counsel for the Respondent<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color: #000080;\">Buy Penal Code, 1860 &nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebcwebstore.com\/product_info.php?products_id=1158\" target=\"_blank\">HERE<\/a><\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebcwebstore.com\/product_info.php?products_id=1158\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/penal-code-1860-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"penal code, 1860\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-294601\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/penal-code-1860-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/penal-code-1860-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/penal-code-1860-440x293.jpg 440w, https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/penal-code-1860-650x433.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/penal-code-1860.jpg 886w, https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/penal-code-1860-60x40.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">&#8220;Where a child is repeatedly exposed to fear or hostility towards one parent, such an environment can adversely affect the child&#8217;s welfare.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67514,"featured_media":374412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[52665,13191,72571,2543,10192,50582,31686,75265,83730,51911,97939,9071,26014],"class_list":["post-374403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-casebriefs","category-highcourts","tag-best-interest-of-child","tag-child-custody","tag-custody-to-father","tag-Delhi_High_Court","tag-family-and-personal-laws","tag-guardians-and-wards","tag-guardians-and-wards-act","tag-justice-anil-kshetarpal","tag-justice-harish-vaidyanathan-shankar","tag-parental-alienation","tag-tender-years-doctrine","tag-visitation-rights","tag-welfare-of-child"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.4 (Yoast SEO v26.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Del HC: Custody to father on ground of parental alienation upheld<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Delhi High Court upheld minor children&#039;s custody to father on ground of sustained &quot;parental alienation&quot; by mother.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Delhi High Court upholds custody transfer to father on ground of sustained &quot;parental alienation&quot; by mother\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Delhi High Court upheld minor children&#039;s custody to father on ground of sustained &quot;parental alienation&quot; by mother.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SCC Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-02T06:00:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-02T06:28:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/custody-to-father.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"886\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"590\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ritu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Delhi High Court upholds custody transfer to father on ground of sustained &quot;parental alienation&quot; by mother\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ritu\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/\",\"name\":\"Del HC: Custody to father on ground of parental alienation upheld\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/custody-to-father.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-02T06:00:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-02T06:28:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/392f265bae2f48f0f0d02b8e0e9015b9\"},\"description\":\"Delhi High Court upheld minor children's custody to father on ground of sustained \\\"parental alienation\\\" by mother.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/custody-to-father.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/custody-to-father.webp\",\"width\":886,\"height\":590,\"caption\":\"custody to father\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Delhi High Court upholds custody transfer to father on ground of sustained &#8220;parental alienation&#8221; by mother\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"SCC Times\",\"description\":\"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/392f265bae2f48f0f0d02b8e0e9015b9\",\"name\":\"Ritu\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c47318594774c1fe55e3e8c85dcd1909276373d9bf11730032fc1a7d05d56a47?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c47318594774c1fe55e3e8c85dcd1909276373d9bf11730032fc1a7d05d56a47?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ritu\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/editor_7\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Del HC: Custody to father on ground of parental alienation upheld","description":"Delhi High Court upheld minor children's custody to father on ground of sustained \"parental alienation\" by mother.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Delhi High Court upholds custody transfer to father on ground of sustained \"parental alienation\" by mother","og_description":"Delhi High Court upheld minor children's custody to father on ground of sustained \"parental alienation\" by mother.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/","og_site_name":"SCC Times","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/","article_published_time":"2026-02-02T06:00:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-02T06:28:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":886,"height":590,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/custody-to-father.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ritu","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Delhi High Court upholds custody transfer to father on ground of sustained \"parental alienation\" by mother","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ritu","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/","name":"Del HC: Custody to father on ground of parental alienation upheld","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/custody-to-father.webp","datePublished":"2026-02-02T06:00:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-02T06:28:23+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/392f265bae2f48f0f0d02b8e0e9015b9"},"description":"Delhi High Court upheld minor children's custody to father on ground of sustained \"parental alienation\" by mother.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/custody-to-father.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/custody-to-father.webp","width":886,"height":590,"caption":"custody to father"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/02\/02\/del-hc-custody-to-father-parental-alienation\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Delhi High Court upholds custody transfer to father on ground of sustained &#8220;parental alienation&#8221; by mother"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/","name":"SCC Times","description":"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/392f265bae2f48f0f0d02b8e0e9015b9","name":"Ritu","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c47318594774c1fe55e3e8c85dcd1909276373d9bf11730032fc1a7d05d56a47?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c47318594774c1fe55e3e8c85dcd1909276373d9bf11730032fc1a7d05d56a47?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ritu"},"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/editor_7\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/custody-to-father.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":222490,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/11\/25\/custody-of-children\/","url_meta":{"origin":374403,"position":0},"title":"Custody of Children","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"November 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Tejaswi Pandit \u2020 Assisted by Manovi Mittra\u2020","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Law made Easy&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Law made Easy","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/law-made-easy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/child-custody.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/child-custody.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/child-custody.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/child-custody.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/child-custody.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":274178,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2022\/09\/22\/madras-high-court-minor-custody-parental-alienation-welfare-of-the-child-fundamental-right-co-parenting-marriage-love-and-affection-legal-research-legal-news\/","url_meta":{"origin":374403,"position":1},"title":"&#8220;To turn a child against a parent is to turn a child against himself; Parental alienation is inhuman, and it is a menace to a child&#8221;, says Madras High Court","author":"Editor","date":"September 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 Madras High Court: In an application seeking the appointment of the applicant as a fit and proper person to be guardian of the minor children and for grant of sole and permanent custody of the minor children, Krishnan Ramasamy, J. has directed the father\/respondent to hand over interim\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Madras High Court","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Madras-HC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Madras-HC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Madras-HC.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Madras-HC.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Madras-HC.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":378958,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/03\/20\/raj-hc-territorial-jurisdiction-child-custody-matters-father-plea-paused\/","url_meta":{"origin":374403,"position":2},"title":"Where should child custody matters be filed? Rajasthan HC\u2019s answer pauses a father\u2019s plea","author":"Shriya Singh","date":"March 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cSection 9, Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 in no uncertain terms envisages that the petition should be filed where the minor ordinarily resides.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Territorial jurisdiction in child custody matters","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Territorial-jurisdiction-in-child-custody-matters.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Territorial-jurisdiction-in-child-custody-matters.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Territorial-jurisdiction-in-child-custody-matters.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Territorial-jurisdiction-in-child-custody-matters.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":261366,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2022\/02\/09\/law-on-custody-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":374403,"position":3},"title":"Law on Custody | 9-year-old child prefers to stay with mother\u2019s father and his family members and shows animosity towards father: Whether father will get custody of child or not? Bom HC decides","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"February 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Bombay High Court: Addressing a matter wherein a child\u2019s mother was diagnosed with cancer due to which she started living at her parental home with the child, and after the passing of the mother, a custody battle arose between the father of the child and the father and brother of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Bombay_New-logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Bombay_New-logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Bombay_New-logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Bombay_New-logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Bombay_New-logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":201017,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2018\/08\/31\/custody-case-under-guardians-and-wards-act-transferred-as-child-not-expected-to-travel-100-kms-for-every-hearing\/","url_meta":{"origin":374403,"position":4},"title":"Custody case under Guardians and Wards Act transferred as child not expected to travel 100 km for every hearing","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"August 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Calcutta High Court: A Single Judge Bench comprising of Sahidullah Munshi, J. allowed an application under Section 24 CPC for transfer of a child custody case arising out of Section 7, 8 and 25 of the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. The application was filed by the mother of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/calcutta-court.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/calcutta-court.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/calcutta-court.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/calcutta-court.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/calcutta-court.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6687,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2015\/07\/07\/unwed-mothers-are-not-required-to-give-notice-under-section-11-of-guardians-and-wards-act-1890-to-the-child-s-putative-father\/","url_meta":{"origin":374403,"position":5},"title":"Unwed mothers are not required to give notice under Section 11 of Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 to the child\u2019s putative father","author":"Sucheta","date":"July 7, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Supreme Court: Delivering a quintessential decision interpreting Section 11 of Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, involving the question that whether an unwed mother must specify the name of the putative father in her petition for her appointment as the guardian of her child, the Division Bench of Vikramjit Sen and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Supreme Court&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Supreme Court","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/supremecourt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Supreme-Court_Colour.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Supreme-Court_Colour.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Supreme-Court_Colour.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Supreme-Court_Colour.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Supreme-Court_Colour.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67514"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=374403"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":374405,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374403\/revisions\/374405"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/374412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=374403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=374403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=374403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}