Supreme Court flags serious concerns after Delhi Police reveal Russian woman missing with child has just Rs 160. Court questions survival means, orders nationwide search and passport seizure.
New Delhi: Today, on July 18, in a major development in the high-profile child custody case involving a Russian woman and her estranged Indian husband, the Delhi Police informed the Supreme Court of India that there was no record of the woman and her child leaving the country through legal channels.
This update came after the woman, Victoria Basu, allegedly disappeared with her five-year-old son, violating the child custody arrangement. The father, Saikat Basu, claimed that both the mother and child were untraceable, and the mother was not complying with the court’s order.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Delhi Police, stated that the Russian Embassy had been cooperating with the investigation and had confirmed that the woman visited its consular section on July 5, where she remained for only an hour.
Bhati told the bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi,
“We have issued a Look Out Circular against the woman and her child and issued hue and cry notices across all police stations of the country. From the information we received from all international airports and ports, we can say she has not left the country with the child at least through legal means,”
She added that the woman was in serious financial distress.
She said,
“The woman was of very frugal means and has only Rs 160 in her bank account; the amount last withdrawn from her bank account was Rs 250,”
In response, the bench observed:
“This is a very precarious situation that she has just Rs 160 in her account. How is she sustaining herself and the child? The husband is not paying anything to her and even the court has not given her anything.”
The Supreme Court directed authorities to check railway stations and all entry and exit points in the National Capital Region (NCR) to see if she had travelled domestically.
Bhati further informed the court that the Russian Ambassador to India stated that on July 10, the woman’s mother called from Russia, saying she could not contact her daughter. After that, the embassy informed the Delhi Police.
She concluded by saying,
“She may have travelled domestically but not left the country through legal means.”
The Court also ordered the seizure of the woman’s passport and instructed all airports, ports, and immigration authorities across India to stay alert and ensure that she does not exit the country.
Previously, the bench had asked the Ministry of External Affairs to formally coordinate with the Russian Embassy and seek permission to enter the residential premises of a diplomat who was last seen in the woman’s company on July 4.
The court noted that the situation arose from a “furious fight” between the couple and mentioned that
“several speaking orders were passed by the court from time to time”
to resolve the custody matter.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had taken urgent action when Mr. Saikat Basu reported that his son and estranged wife had disappeared. The Court had immediately directed senior Delhi Police officials to trace the child without delay and instructed the Centre to issue Look Out Circulars for both the woman and the child.
“Trace the missing child without any loss of time,”
the bench had directed, while also ordering the Ministry of External Affairs and Home Ministry to alert all borders, airports, and ports.
In a dramatic moment during the hearing, Justice Surya Kant questioned the conduct of the woman’s lawyer, who claimed not to know her location.
The bench reacted sharply:
“You people know everything… you think you can play with us? We will take counsels also to task… You wait…”
Mr. Basu had claimed he saw his wife entering the Russian embassy on July 4 through a back gate, carrying luggage, and accompanied by an embassy official.
He expressed fear that she may have fled India using unofficial means, possibly with help from within the embassy. The Court directed the MEA and police to probe whether a different passport or alternate identity was used.
The child’s school records showed he had been absent since July 7, and immigration records indicated
“no sign of legal exit from India.”
The Court further directed the family of Mr. Basu to
“aid the investigation” and demanded a “fresh status report to be filed by Monday.”
Background of the Case
Victoria Basu, a Russian citizen, came to India in 2019 on an X-1 visa, which later expired. However, during court proceedings, the Supreme Court had directed extensions of her visa from time to time to allow her to stay in the country.
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She met her Indian husband Saikat Basu in China, where he was working as a software engineer. They married in India in 2017 and lived here together for several years before disputes arose. Divorce proceedings are still pending before the Family Court in Saket, New Delhi.
On May 22, the Supreme Court passed a detailed custody order: the child would remain with the mother on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and with the father for the rest of the week. But the father told the Court he had last seen his son on May 22 and had no contact since then.
CASE TITLE:
VIKTORIIA BASU vs THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.W.P.(Crl.) No. 129/2023
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