The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to use diplomatic channels to locate Russian national Victoria Basu and her child, missing since July 7 amid a custody dispute. The court reminded India of treaty obligations with Russia for urgent cooperation.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has directed the Indian government to make use of diplomatic channels to trace a Russian woman and her young son, who have gone missing in the middle of a custody battle with her estranged Indian husband.
The case concerns Victoria Basu, a Russian national, and her four-and-a-half-year-old son, who have not been traceable since July 7. Earlier, the Supreme Court had asked the Delhi Police to trace them and submit a status report.
During the latest hearing, Justice Surya Kant underlined that the matter had gone beyond just a legal dispute. He observed,
“This no longer remains a purely legal issue; this will require diplomatic handling. Why don’t you reach out to the Indian Embassy in Russia to help with the authorities there?”
In response, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) informed the bench that both a blue corner notice and a diplomatic note verbale had already been issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The Indian side had also sent a communication on July 31 to the Russian Embassy, requesting immigration details that could help in bringing back the mother and child to India for the ongoing custody proceedings.
However, on August 5, the Russian authorities replied, pointing out that under their federal law on personal data and the civil code of the Russian Federation, they are not allowed to disclose personal information without consent. The Russian Embassy refused to share the requested details.
The Supreme Court noted that India and Russia are bound by a bilateral treaty that requires cooperation in such situations.
The bench reminded the government that,
“Article 9 of the treaty empowers search and seizure that may be required with respect to the identity, integrity of records, etc.”
The court further directed the MEA to send a fresh request to the Russian Embassy, this time attaching copies of the FIR and other supporting documents, to make a stronger case under the mutual treaty obligations.
The bench instructed ASG Aishwarya Bhati to remain in touch with the Indian Embassy in Russia to ensure that all diplomatic channels are fully used to locate the missing woman and her child.
Meanwhile, Saikat Basu, the estranged husband of Victoria, has told the court that she was last seen entering the back gate of the Russian Embassy in Delhi, accompanied by an embassy official. He has expressed his fear that they may have already left India.
Click Here to Read More Reports on Custody of Minor Child
