Supreme Court Denies Custody of Bengaluru Techie's Son to Grandmother, Citing Limited Interaction

The recent case involving a techie from Bengaluru who committed suicide has garnered significant attention, particularly concerning the custody of his four-year-old son. The techie, Atul Subhash, died by suicide in December 2024, leaving behind a detailed suicide note accusing his estranged wife and her family of harassment and extortion. His mother, Anju Devi, sought custody of the grandson, arguing that her daughter-in-law had kept the child's location a secret and that the child should not be sent to a boarding school at such a young age.

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The Supreme Court of India, in its ruling, refused to grant custody of the child to Anju Devi, stating that she was a "stranger to the child." This decision was based on the fact that Anju Devi had limited interaction with the child and that the primary caregiver was the mother of the child. The court emphasized that the issue of custody could not be decided through media trials and directed that the child be produced in court during the next hearing on January 20, 2025.

The estranged wife of the deceased techie informed the court that the child was studying at a boarding school in Haryana and that she would bring the child to Bengaluru to comply with her bail conditions. The court's decision reflects a legal stance that prioritizes the child's well-being and the established caregiving arrangements over familial claims, especially when those claims are not supported by significant prior involvement in the child's life.